From St Lucia Times

(Martinique 1Ere) – 308 million euros are needed each year to finance the fight against AIDS in the Caribbean. The majority of this sum is the responsibility of countries that benefit from some international aid. But from 2018, there will be a shortfall of 7.5 million euros. Indeed, US President Donald Trump has canceled all grants to fight AIDS in the Caribbean.

AIDS recession in some countries

This reduction comes at a time when the rate of infection and mortality in the Caribbean and Latin America begins to decline. This area has one of the largest numbers of HIV-positive people in the world. But since 2004, the new cases recorded are in net decrease.

An amazing figure, because in the Caribbean, on average only 50% of patients are treated. The exceptions are Dominica and the Bahamas, where only 20% of people living with HIV receive medical attention.

An outbreak of AIDS in Guyana

In Guyana, on the other hand, the situation is out of control. Infection rates have soared since 2010 and deaths from HIV have increased by 33%.

Many patients do not dare to seek treatment, especially the homosexual population. In all the independent countries of the Caribbean, homosexuality is a crime and homophobia is important.
In addition, religion is powerful in Caribbean societies, and often sex education is to promote abstinence before marriage.

Some good students

But some countries like Cuba have made a lot of progress in the fight against AIDS. Here the care is 70% of patients and the transmission of AIDS from mother to child has been completely eliminated.

Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat and the Cayman Islands have also eradicated the transmission of the disease from mother to child.