The CARICOM coordinated Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/Aids (PANCAP), in collaboration with the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) and the World Bank, is hosting a three-day workshop in St. Lucia from today, dealing with achieving universal access, scaling up testing and counselling, and defining a comprehensive care package for victims of HIV/AIDS.

The theme of the workshop is: “Universal Access by 2010: Accessing HIV Care and Treatment Gap in the Caribbean”.

It is expected to discuss and reach consensus on strategies for enhancing access to testing and counselling as an entry point for both curative and preventive services.

A release from CARICOM said: “It will review and programme information needed to inform scale up strategies and to identify concrete action to reduce the treatment gap. Defining ways and approaches to address stigma and discrimination in the health sector is also on the agenda of this forum.”

Participants of the workshop include regional health sector workers, representatives of CARICOM-PANCAP network, including the Caribbean Regional Network for people with HIV/AIDS, the World Bank and the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI).

PANCAP was established in 2001 and is a network comprising governments, non-governmental agencies, the private sector, faith-based organisations, donor agencies and people living with HIV/AIDS.

It was formed to increase the number of partners and institutions involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS; increase the level of financial and human resources available ; expand the geographical scope of the response; and increase the global advocacy efforts for HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean.