AIDS in Guyana

Guyana gets it right

criminalising HIV won’t work!

8 September, 2011— Guyana’s Special Select Committee of Parliament on the Criminal Responsibility of HIV Infected Individuals has chosen not to make the transmission of HIV a criminal act. The Joint United Nations Team on AIDS, coordinated by the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) congratulates the Parliamentary Committee for its mature and measured decision. Such a law would have deepened the climate of denial, secrecy and fear surrounding the virus in Guyana and in so doing reduce people’s willingness to learn their status and access treatment and support. Ironically, a measure meant to reduce the spread of HIV could have led to its increase.

Many of the countries that have enacted laws related to the criminalisation of HIV are now reviewing their stance because of the negative implications for public health and human rights. In February Denmark’s Minister of Justice announced the suspension of an HIV-specific criminal law. Last year the United States’ National AIDS Strategy raised concerns about such state laws while an official committee was set up in Norway to inform revision of their equivalent Penal Code provision. Just a few days ago, world leading scientists and medical practitioners joined legal experts and civil society representatives to discuss the scientific, medical, legal and human rights aspects of the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure, exposure and transmission. The meeting, organized by UNAIDS, took place in Geneva from 31 August to 2 September.

Participants reviewed key scientific, medical, public health and legal principles that should inform the application of the criminal law to HIV. They also discussed the recent developments in a number of countries where the criminalization of HIV is being reconsidered.

Rejecting the approach of broad criminalization does not mean that people who maliciously infect others should go unpunished. Existing laws relating to assault and criminal negligence under the Criminal Law (Offences) Act can be used in such cases.

Guyana’s judicial system must then ensure that any application of these general criminal laws to HIV transmission is in keeping with the country’s international human rights commitments. Prior knowledge, deceit or coercion, willfulness and intent must be proven in such cases. This means that convictions should meet the golden legal standard for determination of guilt and not have the dangerous effect of casting all HIV positive people as potential criminals.

Strides in the HIV response are hard-won but possible. According to Guyana’s 2010 United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) Country Progress Report between 2001 and 2009 Guyana experienced a 14 percent reduction in its adult HIV prevalence from 1.4 percent to 1.2 percent. This demonstrates that there has been payoff for gains made in blood safety, antiretroviral treatment and prevention of parents to child transmission.

While criminalisation won’t accomplish a reduction in new HIV infections effective activities and strategies towards HIV prevention can.

This year, scientists revealed that early treatment has been proven to be 96 percent effective in preventing transmission between couples. Expanding access to such treatment, supporting increased condom-use and boosting the uptake of testing and counseling services are effective ways of reducing the transmission of HIV and protecting the most vulnerable.

The other key aspect of this comprehensive response is personal responsibility. Exposure to the virus is a risk that every sexually active individual has a duty to manage. Not knowing a partner’s status or assuming that he or she does not have a disease are not sufficient reasons for not using protection, discussing each other’s status and getting tested. Ultimately those are the actions that will lead to a decline in HIV.

This latest parliamentary decision clears the way for Guyana’s HIV response to continue proceeding in a rational and productive direction.

END

The full Report of the Special Select Committee to the Guyana Parliament http://www.hiv.gov.gy/doc.php?id=277 and the Speech of Honourable Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Minister of Health of Guyana http://www.hiv.gov.gy/doc.php?id=276 are available on line.

Dr. Ruben del Prado is the UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Guyana. For further information or to request an interview, contact him via delprador@unaids.org

“The Guyana National HIV Strategy 2007 to 2011” will soon be coming to its end.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) recognises that this Strategy has brought Guyana to a point where it is a now strong leader in the Caribbean, because the country has the capacity to lead a vibrant and successful HIV response; leverages local finances and mobilises the necessary external resources; advocates internationally on behalf of Guyana, for its Caribbean neighbours, and the rest of the world; is innovative in its achievements towards HIV prevention; shares its knowledge and competencies with others; stimulates, appreciates, learns from and transfers local action.

On Friday 24 June 2011, the Minister of Health, Honourable Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, in his keynote address to the ‘Guyana Business Coalition on AIDS Annual Awards Dinner,’ launched the country’s upcoming development of ‘Guyana HIVision2020.’ He said: “We are now at a point where we can move more aggressively towards achieving a vision that has been guiding us from the very beginning, but has not necessarily been articulated as a national vision: “No child born with HIV, anywhere in Guyana!” — “HIV treatment for all persons living with HIV, based on science, international guidelines, and the judgment of a physician” – “Integration of HIV prevention, treatment, care and support into primary care” — Guyana stood firm on not having a parallel programme for parents-to-child transmission. We’ve strengthened our systems (supply chain, etc) to ensure that we can deliver on our promises to Guyanese, in HIV, and in all areas of health.”

In his keynote address, Minister Ramsammy further said: “ ‘Guyana HIVision2020,’ will serve in developing our and our partners’ activities and strategies to ensure more focused, aligned and country-owned responses and to guide investments to deliver innovation and maximum returns for our people; whoever they are and wherever they are living in Guyana.
As Guyana prepares for its nation-wide vision for HIV in 2020, a decision has been made by my Ministry that our country’s next HIV activities and strategies will be captured by a clear and concise document that represents

1. The vision of where we want to be in the year 2020 when it comes to the PREVENTION of HIV: the elimination of all forms of HIV transmission; including the elimination of parents-to-child transmission, by 2015, and keeping mothers and their children alive;

2. The vision of all persons living with HIV receiving highly active anti-retroval TREATMENT – especially since we know that treatment is prevention,

and 3. The vision of INFORMATION, INTEGRATION and INNOVATION that will capture systems’ strengthening; involvement of all relevant public and non government sectors, and research and development, to remain up-to-date and ahead of the epidemic. This vision includes strategic intelligence to adequately prioritise and plan evidence-informed, efficient and effective actions that will move us from vision to implementation.

Colleagues, friends, all, we must courageously face up to the challenges and embrace wholeheartedly the opportunities to realise our vision of a trajectory of elimination of the HIV epidemic in Guyana. Our common ‘Guyana HIVision2020,’ our commitment, and our joint, harmonised actions will get us there.”
The UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Guyana, Dr. Ruben del Prado, reiterates that his Office and the Joint United Team on AIDS, are partnering with the people of Guyana in the development of ‘Guyana HIVision2020’ that will be a pronouncement of where Guyana wants to be in the year 2020, in the areas of HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

He says that “the next step will be the development of Guyana’s ‘National HIV Plan’ that will describe the activities of all partners, government and non-government, to achieve this vision. The HIV Plan must contain a budget for undertaking these actions, including strategies to leverage and mobilise the needed resources.

The HIV Plan must describe the scope, scale, intensity and quality of all proposed activities. The choice of these activities, through prioritisation, will be instrumental in order for ‘Guyana HIVision 2020’ to become a reality”
On 10 June 2011 the United Nations General Assembly, in a special High Level Meeting on HIV adopted the Political Declaration on HIV: Intensifying our Efforts to eliminate HIV . The Ministry of Health has already developed 10 key indicators out of this Declaration that will be incorporated in ‘Guyana HIVision2020.’ The National AIDS Programme of the Ministry will soon announce national targets for Guyana, based on these indicators, to be achieved by 2015.

Contact: UNAIDS Country Office in Guyana | unaidsguyana@unaids.org

Zero new HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination, Zero AIDS-related Deaths

From the Executive Director of UNAIDS and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dr. Michel Sidibé.

On this World AIDS Day we can be proud:

Globally, we have reduced the number of new HIV infections and deaths by nearly 20%.

This means less people are becoming infected with HIV and less people are dying from AIDS.

56 countries have either stabilized or significantly reduced the rate of new HIV infections.

For the first time, we have broken the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic and reached the first part of the Millenium Development Goal for HIV.

We have achieved this amazing milestone because families, communities, governments- and UNAIDS have united the world in an unprecedented movement.

We are prevailing … with political commitment, leadership from all sectors, including leaders of faith … with science, with evidence, with human rights and passion.

On this World AIDS Day we can remember:

Our successes have not come without sacrifice. Today we mourn friends and family – some 30 million people who have lost their lives to AIDS.

An estimated 10 million people waiting for treatment.

We must remember that punitive laws and stigma still hurt too many people around the world.

On this World AIDS Day, we can commit:

Commit our hard-won gains are fragile – so our commitment to the AIDS response must remain strong.

AIDS is a proven investment and must be a shared responsibility today and tomorrow.

On this World AIDS Day we can be hopeful:

With your commitment and that of UNAIDS and the UN family, we are changing the course of the epidemic.

I have called for the virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission by 2015.

Nothing gives me more hope than knowing that an AIDS free generation is possible in our lifetime.

So, on this World AIDS Day, take action today – together we can reach Zero new HIV infections, Zero Discrimination, Zero AIDS-related deaths.

THE International Labour Organisation (ILO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), on Tuesday hosted a seminar, on the National HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy, for workers of Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam). In the Regional Boardroom at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, Project Coordinator Ms. Althea Lindo said the participants were drawn from the sea defence, Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and Guyana Labour Union (GLU).

She said the policy was introduced by the Labour Ministry to protect persons living with HIV/AIDS from discrimination and unfair treatment at the workplace.
Lindo said the seminar put focus on capacity building sensitisation and how to use the male and female condoms.

Facilitator Ms. Dedeen Moore, of the ILO, said the policy must be adopted, as the minimum standards to be implemented, by all employers, trade unions, employees representatives and Government.

She said it surrounds prevention to arrange and prevent HIV and AIDS in the world of work, so as to promote information, education, communication and general awareness of the diseases.

Another objective of the forum was to ensure universal infection control procedures, detail employer/employee responsibilities and promote cooperation among Government, employers, trade unions and workers.

Former Member of Parliament (MP), Mr. Isahack Basir, was also in attendance.

St. Stanislaus defeats 11 other schools in debate

THE Guyana Red Cross Society (GRCS) HIV/AIDS Programme hosted an Inter-School Impromptu Speaking Competition yesterday, at its Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown headquarters, in observance of World AIDS Day 2010.

The occasion is celebrated globally on December 1 and it marked the start of the GRCS Anti-Stigma and Discrimination Campaign themed ‘Come Closer’.

St. Stanislaus College emerged winner of the contest, defeating 11 other participating schools from Regions Three (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) and Four (Demerara/Mahaica), each of which made a presentation on a different topic under the global theme ‘Universal Access and Human Rights’.

Speaking at the start of the rivalry, GRCS Field Manager, Mr. Apollo Kanhai, said it is part of the effort, by local and international partners, to increase awareness by placing the focus on young people.

Emphasising the importance of youth involvement, he said: “In this way, we can have youths speak to their peers, who would listen and interact with them.”

This is vital, because persons between the ages of 10 and 24 years are the ones mostly infected and affected, Kanhai explained.

He said the 2010 theme encourages deeper understanding, develops partnerships, challenges discriminatory laws and encourages persons to get tested.
“Being HIV positive does not make you any less of a human being,” Kanhai told the audience.

After his introductory remarks, the participants were briefed on the rules and format of the debate and invited to each compose their presentation in 30 seconds and deliver it in two minutes.

The first competitor, Alexis Mc Curdy, from Tutorial High, chose to speak on VCT HIV and said test sites should be set up in all Regions.

COMPETITORS

Other competitors to follow were:

• Damella Chase, from President’s College (How HIV affects the Body);
• Neion Barry, from Christ Church Secondary ‘Should Teachers who are HIV positive be allowed to teach?);
• Bhanu Roop, from Diamond Secondary (Should people living with HIV be made to live separately from us?);
• Francine Carol,  from St. Joseph High (What is the significance of World AIDS Day?);
• Erwin Miller and Mickel Mohan, from West Demerara Secondary (How Social pressure affects persons  living with HIV/AIDS);
• Faith Stewart, from Patentia Secondary (How is HIV spread?);
• Kevin Mohan, from St. Stanislaus College (Should HIV positive persons be allowed to access public education);
• Ganesh Ram, from Cummings Lodge Secondary (How is HIV not transmitted?);
• Marissa Christiani, from Zeeburg Secondary (Should parents and teachers of children who test positive for HIV be notified?) and
• Mohani Balkharan, from Annandale Secondary (Should schoolchildren have the right to access condoms?)

After 45 minutes of informative and eloquent deliveries, the judges,  Kanhai, University of Guyana (UG) lecturers, Ms. Julia Shadood and Ms. Bonita Hunter (Chief Judge) announced their judgement.

They gave third place to Christiani, second to Barry and first to Mohan.

Hunter applauded all those who participated for their earnest efforts and encouraged them to feel a sense of accomplishment.

“You need to act as ambassadors and take the message of HIV awareness and education to your peers,” she charged them, adding: “I hope that persons in this room will make better decisions now that they are more informed.”

Prizes included trophies, gift vouchers, certificates and hampers, as well as a notebook computer, for Mohan the top prize winner.

GRCS mounted a display for persons in attendance to get a preview of some of the work done in its various departments.

Written by By Thomas Pierce, Charge d’Affaires US Embassy in Georgetown

WORLD AIDS Day is both a day of remembrance and a day of celebration. We must all remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS. It’s in their honour that we work each day to provide HIV prevention, treatment and care to millions across the globe. Yet, it’s also a day to celebrate those whose lives have been improved and saved in Guyana and throughout the world, thanks to global efforts to fight this devastating disease.

On this World AIDS Day, it is important to remember that we have a shared responsibility to build on the success achieved to date by making smart investments that will ultimately save more lives.

And there is much success to build on.  In Guyana, the United States, through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), directly supported life-saving antiretroviral treatment for 3,030 men, women and children, as of September 2010.

Locally, PEPFAR has directly assisted 7,189 people, including 1,964 orphans and vulnerable children, with care and support programmes. PEPFAR’s efforts around prevention of mother-to-child transmission programmes have allowed nearly 96 percent of babies of HIV-positive mothers to be born HIV-free.

Building on the success of PEPFAR and other global health programmes, President Barack Obama has also put forward an ambitious Global Health Initiative, which will support coordinated programmes aimed at reducing lives lost from HIV/AIDS and other health challenges. And through U.S. investments in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, many more people will benefit from prevention, care and treatment.

Working with the Government of Guyana, we are also becoming smarter about how we’re making investments, with the goal of saving more lives. Experience here and elsewhere has taught us how to use every dollar invested in battling HIV/AIDS more effectively and efficiently. This means each dollar is going a little further, allowing us to do more to combat HIV/AIDS, and address issues across the global health spectrum.  It also means that we can now measure our success not just in dollars invested, but in the ultimate measure of success – lives improved and saved.

Over the last six years PEPFAR Guyana has contributed millions of dollars to sustainable development in the health sector, with investments in the Materials Management Unit (MMU) through the Supply Chain Management Systems Project and the National Public Health Institute (NPHI) that houses the National Care and Treatment Centre (NCTC) and the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL), supported by the CDC Cooperative Agreement.

The investment in the MMU has improved the Ministry’s capacity to deliver life-saving antiretrovirals (ARVs) and other essential health care commodities. It has also strengthened and expanded Guyana’s supply chain management system, thus ensuring secure, reliable, cost-effective and sustainable pharmaceutical and health commodities are available to meet the care and treatment needs of people living with HIV and AIDS.

The NPHI houses the NCTC formerly called the ‘GUM Clinic’, and thousands of patients are treated annually in a professional and friendly environment. The investment in the NPHRL has improved the Ministry’s diagnostic capability and management of not only HIV but many other communicable diseases. NPHRL has the capability to respond to outbreak of diseases in a timely manner.

Together, these investments will contribute to the long term health of the people of Guyana.

On this World AIDS Day, we honour the lives lost and celebrate the lives saved, but we cannot rest. Working together, we must remain dedicated to building on success by making smart investments to save even more lives.

PULL QUOTE:
On this World AIDS Day, we honor the lives lost and celebrate the lives saved, but we cannot rest. Working together, we must remain dedicated to building on success by making smart investments to save even more lives.

EIGHT hundred primary and secondary schoolchildren, together with staff of the Education Ministry and other stakeholders, are to participate in an activity on the National Cultural Centre (NCC) tarmac to mark World AIDS Day, December 1.

HIV/AIDS Focal Point within the Ministry, Ms. Janelle Sweatnam, said the December 1 programme is part of its HIV Prevention and Control Project that would see the participants forming a circle of care at 12:00 hrs. She said the gesture is symbolic of the need to offer care and support to persons living with the virus or affected by it.
One minute of silence will be observed for people in the Education Sector and loved ones who have succumbed to HIV related illnesses.

The occasion will be addressed by Education Minister Shaik Baksh and Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, as well as representatives of the three major religions and the Guyana Faith and HIV Coalition will be offering prayers for persons infected and affected by the disease.

Sweatnam said the observance begins at 10:00 h and booths will distribute care packages and showcase the various services that are available to persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.

In addition, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS), will be introducing two publications targeting primary and secondary schoolchildren.

Before the scheduled 12:30 hrs conclusion those in attendance would also receive information on the other social ills affecting young people in the society.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education joined the National Week of HIV Testing, with a plan to test 1,000 employees, students and members of the public.

TENTS
The exercise was executed in tents located at its Lot 26 Brickdam building and the Government Technical Institute (GTI) on Woolford Avenue, in Georgetown, as well.
Tests at Brickdam concluded on Tuesday after two productive days of service but will continue at GTI until Friday.

Sweatnam said the activities at both sites were done with assistance from NAPS, providing those tested with HIV/AIDS pamphlets and the opportunity to view documentary films on the life of persons infected and affected by the sickness.

She said the objective of that aspect is to create behavioural change among participants, by building their awareness of the virus and its consequences.
“We want to increase people’s knowledge of ways they can enjoy a healthy lifestyle and avoid contracting the virus,” Sweatnam said.

She explained that the National Week of Testing is a prelude to the Ministry’s activities to mark the December 1 milestone.
The theme for World AIDS Day 2010 is ‘Universal Access and Human Rights’ and the occasion is to remind people that HIV has not gone away and there are many things still to be done.

Apart from the testing, the HIV/AIDS Prevention and School Health Unit within the Education Ministry has conducted several awareness sessions with second and third year pre-service and in-service trainee teachers at Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), to enlighten them on ways to respond to students infected and affected by the virus.

The findings of a recent study, on HIV-related stigma and discrimination and learning outcomes of children infected and affected by HIV and AIDS in Guyana, found that, although there is an indication of stigma and discrimination against them, it did not determine how well they will perform in school.

The survey was carried out by the Caribbean Child Development Centre (CCDC), University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Kingston Cluster Office, in collaboration with the local Ministry of Education and the UWI-HIV&AIDS Response Programme.

UNAIDS Global AIDS Report 2010

A new report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), released last Thursday,  shows that the AIDS epidemic is beginning to change course, as the number of people newly infected with HIV is declining and AIDS-related deaths are decreasing. According to the report, released ahead of World AIDS Day 2010, the AIDS epidemic has been halted and the world is beginning to reverse the spread of HIV.

“New HIV infections have fallen by nearly 20% in the last 10 years, AIDS-related deaths are down by nearly 20% in the last five years, and the total number of people living with HIV is stabilizing,” the report says.

“Together, this is contributing to the stabilization of the total number of people living with HIV in the world,” it observed.
But even as Executive Director of UNAIDS, Mr. Michel Sidibé, lauds this development as a ‘breaking of the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic with bold actions and smart choices’, he has challenged the international community to work towards accelerating progress.

Noting that investments in the AIDS response are paying off, he nonetheless observed that gains are fragile, adding:  “The challenge now is how we can all work to accelerate progress.”

In keeping with our mandate to bring you, our readers, up-to-date and highly credible peer-reviewed information on developments taking place in the world of HIV/AIDS, today, the Guyana Chronicle Workplace HIV/AIDS Mailbox, brings you in capsule, excerpts from the report alluded to:

• An estimated 2.6 million [2.3 million–2.8 million] people became newly infected with HIV, nearly 20% fewer than the 3.1 million [2.9 million–3.4 million] people infected in 1999.
• In  2009, 1.8 million [1.6 million–2.1 million] people died from AIDS-related illnesses, nearly one-fifth lower than the 2.1 million [1.9 million–2.3 million] people who died in 2004.
• At  the end of 2009, 33.3 million [31.4 million–35.3 million] people were estimated to be living with HIV, up slightly from 32.8 million1 [30.9 million–34.7 million] in 2008. This is in large part due to more people living longer as access to antiretroviral therapy increases

Against this backdrop, the HIV/AIDS Mailbox wishes to highlight some of the significant achievements made by some of the countries reputed to have been the worst affected by HIV, and show how we can learn from each others’ experiences, as we seek to rise above complacency, and work towards accelerating progress.
More Facts from the UNAIDS 2010 Report:

• Among young people in 15 of the most severely affected countries, the rate of new HIV infections has fallen by more than 25%, led by young people adopting safer sexual practices. In South Africa, the rate of new HIV infections among 18-year-olds declined sharply from 1.8% in 2005 to 0.8% in 2008, and among women 15–24 years-old, it dropped from 5.5% to 2.2% between 2003 and 2008.
• In 59 countries, including 18 of the 25 countries with the highest HIV prevalence, less than 25% of men reported having sex with more than one partner in the last 12 months. Eighty-four countries reported the same behaviour trends for women
• Condom use and availability have increased significantly. Eleven countries—from Burkina Faso, to India, and Peru—report more than 75% condom use at last higher-risk sex.
• Data from 78 countries show that condom use among men who have sex with men was more than 50% in 54 countries. Reports of condom use by sex workers are also encouraging. In 69 countries, more than 60% of sex workers used a condom with their last client.

Also included in the UNAIDS report are worrying trends in relation to the spread of HIV in countries which previously have had a record of achieving measurable success in the fight against HIV. Commenting on the state of the epidemic in the Caribbean Region, the report had this to say, among other things:

• Aside  from sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean is the only region where the proportion of women and girls living with HIV (53%) is higher than that of men and boys.
• Unprotected  sex between men and women—especially paid sex—is thought to be the main mode of HIV transmission in the Caribbean.
• Sex-work, sex between men and drug use play a key role in HIV transmission
• High HIV infection levels have been found among female sex workers in the region: 4% in the Dominican Republic, 9% in Jamaica and 27% in Guyana.
• One in five men who have sex with men surveyed in Trinidad and Tobago was living with HIV, and one in four said that they regularly had sex with women. In Jamaica, an estimated 32% of men who have sex with men are living with HIV.
• In Bermuda and Puerto Rico, unsafe injecting drug use contributed significantly to the spread of HIV. In Puerto Rico, an estimated 40% of new HIV infections in men and 27% in women in 2006 resulted from contaminated injecting equipment.
• HIV-burden  varies considerably between and within countries in the Caribbean. Cuba, for example, has a very low HIV prevalence of 0.1% [0.08%–0.13%] while the Bahamas has the highest HIV adult prevalence in the region, at 3.1% [1.2%–5.4%].

Simply put, what is required, as was demonstrated in the reports coming out of Africa, is a renewed and determined commitment to bring about and sustain positive behaviour change and such lessons are not new to the Caribbean.
Resource demand outstripping supply

Meanwhile, addressing the issue of resource demands outstripping supply,  the report highlights the urgent need to sustain and scale up good investments and for countries to share the financial burden of the epidemic.

UNAIDS estimates that a total of US$ 15.9B was available for the AIDS response in 2009, US$10B short of what is needed in 2010, adding that funding from international sources appears to be reducing.

Concerned that donor governments’ disbursements for the AIDS response in 2009 stood at US$ 7.6B, lower than the US$ 7.7B available in 2008, the report warns that ‘declines in international investments will affect low-income countries the most, since  nearly 90% rely on international funding for their AIDS programmes.”

But while this is so, many countries are under-investing and need to increase their domestic financial commitments to sustain and scale up the AIDS response, UNAIDS, according to the report.

Meanwhile, a new Domestic Investment Priority Index developed by UNAIDS shows that almost half of the 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa are spending less than their capacity— commensurate to their disease burden and availability of government resources.

The index also shows that some developing countries with strong economies can meet a substantial portion of their resource needs from domestic sources alone.

Ramsammy commends GDF on significant HIV/AIDS fight contribution

THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF), continuing its 45th anniversary observances, hosted its annual HIV/AIDS Health Fair, on Thursday, at the Drill Square, Base Camp Ayanganna, Georgetown.

The staging was because the Army considers itself part of the wider effort to fight the scourge and, in this regard, remains consistent in partnerships with the Ministry of Health and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, who delivered the feature address on the occasion, commended the GDF for its work.

He said it contributes, considerably, to the overall effort to fight HIV/AIDS.

“The Force has not only performed its role as the security arm of the nation but also as a developmental instrument of our country. GDF has, indeed, been a genuine partner in promoting health in our country. It has developed its own internal mechanisms for providing better health and has extended that capacity to the country,” Ramsammy stated.

He said the Force’s decision to host the fair was testimony to its commitment to the people of Guyana and part of a promise that it is one of the organisations which remains determined to prevent HIV from continuing to take lives.

Ramsammy added that, while the disease presents a major threat to the population, the GDF did not stand still and say it is not its responsibility but joined in the wider battle against HIV.

Army Chief of Staff, Commodore Gary Best, pledging the Force’s continued commitment to tackling HIV/AIDS, said the sickness has presented it with a more obscure, dangerous and complex enemy.

“So, the Guyana Defence Force is waging war against this scourge. Through aggressive education and awareness programmes, we will triumph. We are winning and will continue to win the fight against HIV,” he affirmed.

Best, also, acknowledged the role of the United States (U.S.) President’s Emergency Relief Programme (PEPFAR) in the Force’s efforts.

Visitors to the exhibition were recipients of literature to educate them on HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and infections, as well as general health and well-being issues.

Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) services were also available and a cultural presentation, which was the culmination of the day long activity, showed the communication of HIV/AIDS related messages through dance, song and drama by local artistes.

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten, – Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has told the region that there is no room for complacency in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony of the 10th Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) Annual General Meeting  last Sunday,  the former UN boss said that 30 years since the start of the terrible epidemic, too many people still get infected and too many die of AIDS-related illness.

“Discrimination, including the flouting of the most basic human rights, is still widespread for those living with HIV/AIDS,” Annan told the opening ceremony, adding: “And while we have seen real progress across the board, five more people still contract the virus for every two who start treatment.”

An estimated 240,000 people live today with HIV in the Caribbean, while 20,000 more are infected each year.

However, Caribbean officials say the work of PANCAP and the expansion of antiretroviral treatment have helped significantly in reducing the annual number of deaths related to HIV, which has fallen 40 per cent since 2000.

Since 2001, the Caribbean region has received approximately US$1.2 billion of grant and concessionary funding to fight HIV/AIDS. But Annan said that the replenishment meeting for the Global Fund that took place last month served as a reminder that the war chest was not limitless.

“I remain an optimist. But I also recognize that maintaining and increasing funding for HIV/AIDS has not got any easier.

“The global economic crisis has increased pressure on government resources across the world. Some wealthier countries have responded by freezing or reducing their investments in global health.

“It is unfair that those countries which have done least to cause the financial crisis should have to pay such a high price,” Annan added. But he said that while he believes countries should continue to press strongly for more funding, they must also do more to get the most benefit from each dollar spent.

The former UN Secretary-General admits that “it is a daunting challenge.” But he said the region’s success over the last decade shows just what can be achieved with mission, commitment, courage and leadership.

The PANCAP Chairman, St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas agrees that the challenge is daunting, but he said one of the things the Caribbean is known for is its ability to stand up to challenges.

“Our region is always up to a challenge. It was this region that in the 1980s was the first to eliminate polio and measles,” Douglas said, citing many other ‘firsts’ for the Region.

Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Edwin Carrington, who also spoke at the opening, said that PANCAP has had a tremendous impact on this region which has been among the most afflicted by the HIV phenomenon.

“Imagine the joy and relief of those whose very lives have been saved because of this partnership. It has truly made a difference,” Carrington said.

Last Sunday’s  celebration is a tribute to the PANCAP  partnership, its leadership, the relevance of its programmes, its committed partners including our development partners for this willingness to invest in sustaining this unique organization, he said.

One of the highlights of Sunday’s opening ceremony was the inauguration of the PANCAP Award that was presented to six CARICOM nationals for their outstanding contributions over the past 10 years to the region’s response to reverse the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

They are Professor Peter Figueroa form Jamaica; Dr. Perry Gomez of the Bahamas; Dr. Carol Jacobs from Barbados; and Ms. Yolanda Simon from Trinidad and Tobago.

Meanwhile,  PANCAP Awards of Recognition were given to Assistant Secretary-General of CARICOM, Professor Edward Greene, and Director of PANCAP, Carl Browne.