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It is Guyana’s honor and very great pleasure to host the 3rd PANCAP Meeting. I am delighted as host Minister to welcome you to Guyana and I hope that all of you will have a good time in Guyana. I certainly hope that in addition to having a good time, we will also have a very successful meeting. To our colleagues from the Caribbean and our colleagues who are visiting from outside the Caribbean, please enjoy Guyana’s hospitality. To those who have come from outside the Caribbean, let me welcome you to the warmth and joy of the Caribbean shores.
My task is merely to make some welcoming remarks, but I do want to say that the work program for this meeting is a very ambitious one and this third meeting is being asked to address some very important matters. This third meeting is also being held at a time when much is happening and the fight against HIV/AIDS has a momentum that few would have thought possible just a couple of years ago. Tremendous progress has been made in the last couple of years and there is now real hope. There has always been the realization that resources will be needed to mount an effective battle against HIV/AIDS. Just a couple of years ago, we were not certain that it would have been possible to mobilize the resources, both human and financial, to wage a credible battle against the pandemic. But enormous resources have been raised and while more resources are needed, we have built a capacity to mount a credible fight against HIV/AIDS. A major part of the success had to do with the partnership within the Region and with various partners outside the Region. The partnership with the World Bank, the IDB, PAHO/WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, GTZ, KFW, the US Emergency Fund, CDB, CDC, USAID, the Global Fund has resulted in the Caribbean Region being able to upscale its response to HIV/AIDS. There are several success stories in our Region and I am certain that we will win the fight against HIV/AIDS. The Caribbean Region is the second most affected Region in the world. But we are determined that HIV/AIDS will not spoil our successful record in public health. The Caribbean Region has much to be proud of in terms of our public health record. We were among the first sub-region to eliminate several public health scourges: polio, measles and smallpox are but a few. We have eliminated virtually all vaccine preventable diseases. Our track record is impressive. Similarly, we will ensure that the fight against HIV/AIDS will be a successful one. When we do so, PANCAP would be one reason why the Caribbean would also rank as one of the first sub-region to wage a successful battle against HIV/AIDS. And in doing so we would demonstrate the efficacy of strong partnership. I wish all of you a successful meeting. Thank you. |
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