From Guyana Times
The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) has reported that the Caribbean recorded a significant decrease in the number of HIV infections.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, PANCAP Director Derek Springer pointed out that many persons did not know about the work of the organisation or its achievements. He noted that one of the organisation’s major achievements is the reduction of the number of new HIV cases being detected by a staggering 49 per cent.
Springer added that this was the sharpest decrease recorded by any region around the world. However, despite this significant decrease, the Caribbean still remains the second most infected region in the world. The PANCAP Director explained that this was because of the Region’s large population.
“When we look at the population size of the Caribbean compared with other regions’ population, the Caribbean continues to be the second most infected region. The other thing we must also take into consideration is previously people who tested positive eventually died within so many years, but because of treatment people continue to live longer. It means that if we are able to eliminate HIV transmission today, we will continue to see people living with HIV and, therefore, what we have to monitor at the national and regional level is the incidence of news cases,” he stated.
Dr Shanti Singh along with PANCAP Director Derek Springer and PSI Consultant Sarah Romorini
Dr Shanti Singh along with PANCAP Director Derek Springer and PSI Consultant Sarah Romorini
According to Springer, the reduction of new cases of HIV infections reflects that the Caribbean is making progress in eliminating this societal scourge. In addition to this, the Region has seen 70 per cent of persons who are eligible for antiretrovirals (ARVs) receiving the treatment, which is a significant improvement from 2001 when less than five per cent had access to treatments.
51% decline in HIV-related deaths
The PANCAP Director further stated that the Caribbean has also seen a decrease of 51 per cent in the number of deaths as a result of HIV-related illness. “Our Region is on track to becoming the first region in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and we have seen in some Caribbean countries over the last few years that there were no reported cases,” he disclosed.
To this end, Springer noted that a Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) team is currently in Cuba, conducting verification and will even do so in other Caribbean countries to determine whether in fact mother-to-child transmission has been eliminated in the region and Latin America.
Furthermore, Springer highlighted that there has been a significant decline in infections among female sex workers. However, he noted that there were challenges as it relates to cutting the rate of HIV infections among males who have sex with men.
“Of course, a lot of that has to do with the fact that our response to address men who have sex with men and ensuring that we have services that are tailored to meet their needs, was later than when the initial response was focusing on general population,” he remarked.
Improved services in Guyana
The Programme Director of Guyana’s National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS), Dr Shanti Singh, highlighted that for the first time Guyana has seen a hike in its prevention and treatment services. She noted that by the end of 2014, some 5041 persons were in the care and treatment programme.
“All 5041 persons are receiving ARVs but of that (figure), we have about 89 per cent of those receiving antiretroviral care. This is a significant achievement and as we monitor the ARV programme over time, we can see the proportion of persons in the treatment programme receiving ARVs, increasing,” she noted.
Dr Singh added that Guyana has managed to reach out to over 3000 female sex workers and over 3000 men who have sex with men, during the course of last year. Additionally, NAPS was able to prioritise areas of interest and was able to reach out to an increased number of miners and loggers.
PANCAP has approached the Global Fund with a concept note that seeks to strengthen its various programmes. The organisation is confident that it will receive approval for the US$12.1 million.
According to Director Springer, the project is focused on addressing human rights issues such as discriminatory laws and policies. It will also look at community system strengthening to ensure that the responses are not only a top-down approach but also a bottom-up approach.
In addition, Population Services Consultant Sarah Romorini outlined that she was working closely with PANCAP to promote social marketing activities within the Caribbean and Latin America. She noted that through this programme, condoms are becoming more available and accepted in HIV affected areas.
This, Romorini stated, is not only profitable for companies, but also reflects that persons are taking measures to protect themselves, which will result in more healthy environments.
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