The Region has been asked to eradicate the stigma attached to the HIV/AIDS virus, in order to create a more supporting environment for persons infected with the disease and furthermore to encourage the general public to get tested.
At the just concluded second annual meeting of the Pan Caribbean Partnership (PANCAP) for HIV/AIDS, held this week, in Georgetown, Guyana, members noted that HIV/AIDS discrimination was the single most devastating factor contributing to the social isolation of victims and thus increasing the spread of the epidemic.
The partnership called for a collective strategy in dealing with this issue of stigmatization pointing out that there is life beyond the diagnosis and reinforcing that “there can be no prevention without care and treatment.”
According to Ms Cynthia Eledu, Regional Advisor to PANCAP, the Region has already attracted some US$130 million in aid for work in the area of HIV/AIDS in the form of grants and pledges. In addition, the World Bank has made available US$150 million in concessionary loans, which has to date been accessed by Jamaica, Barbados and Grenada. Bearing in mind that a 1998 UWI study estimated that a total of US$350 million was needed to tackle the problem of HIV/AIDS infection in the region, Ms Eledu stressed that there was still much more money to be raised.
The PANCAP Meeting had a comprehensive agenda, which included a review of the status of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the Caribbean, and the examination of activities related to prevention and care. A major achievement for PANCAP in accelerating access to care was its success in negotiating with five pharmaceutical companies for a 75-80% reduction in the prices of anti-viral drugs. PANCAP hopes to engage in additional dialogue for further reduction to guarantee affordability by all patients in the Region.
The CARICOM Heads of Government recognizing the seriousness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic established the PANCAP in 2001 as a mechanism to co-ordinate the regional response to the virus.
The enormity of the AIDS epidemic is considered beyond the capacity of individual Caribbean states especially given that half a million people in the region are HIV infected at a rate of 2.5%. In this regard, the partnership is viewed as a key plan in the regional strategy against the pandemic.
Ms Veta Brown speaking on behalf of PAHO, a member of PANCAP intimated that the partnership was committed to making a difference. “HIV is a major vulnerability faced by the region”, she said, adding, “The PANCAP hopes to have a Blue Print of agreement on the way forward that stresses the operational impact on people living with HIV/AIDS.”
The collaborative network has a current membership of 49, including 27 countries, 11 institutions and 12 donors and is responsible for advocacy, resource mobilization and for providing a unified vision and direction to the halt of the dreaded disease. The membership consists of all the major players working in the area of HIV/AIDS.
A significant outcome of the Meeting was the consolidation of the structural and operational framework within which the partnership will carry out its functions.
