The CARICOM/Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) observation mission to Brasilia, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 4-8 April 2005 comprised Dr. The Hon. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and Chair of PANCAP, Hon. John Maginley, Minister of Health, Sports and Youth Affairs, Antigua and Barbuda and Chair of Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD); Hon Damien Greaves, Minister of Health, Human Services and Family Affairs, St. Lucia; Dr. Edward Greene, Assistant Secretary General of the CARICOM Secretariat; officials of government and non-governmental organisations, representatives of core regional Partners of PANCAP, and members the PANCAP Coordinating Unit and CARICOM Secretariat.
The aim of the mission was to:
a) Enable Caribbean leaders and practitioners to observe a best practice in the management of a national HIV/AIDS Programme
b) Explore areas of technical cooperation between Brazil and the CARICOM/PANCAP in the prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS
Areas of Agreement
Discussions were held at the Federal level with Mr. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, Chancellor Celso Amorim, Minister of External Relations, Dr. Humberto Costa, Minister of Health, Representatives of the Parliamentary Front Against HIV/AIDS, Officials of the Ministry of Health, the International Center for Technical Cooperation on HIV and AIDS (ICTC), the Horizontal Technical Cooperation Group on HIV and AIDS of Latin America and the Caribbean (HTCG). At the State level, discussions were held with representatives of Government, NGOs, Faith-Based Organisations, public pharmaceutical companies, Universities and research institutions. Based on these discussions, the following areas of agreement were inked with some proposed mechanisms for follow up.
1. The Brazilian Government will consider the provision of anti-retroviral drugs to approximately 500 cases identified in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States – OECS (Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), as a pilot project in support of the PANCAP plan of action for care and treatment
The Ministry of Health, Brazil under the instruction of the Minister has been designated as the focal point to work in collaboration with CARICOM through the PANCAP Coordinating Unit (PCU) to develop the pilot project and report on the status of implementation at the Fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) of PANCAP November 1-3, 2005.
2. Cooperation in Monitoring and Evaluation to be formulated so that CARICOM/PANCAP may benefit from the techniques and models that have been successfully developed in Brazil
The Caribbean Health Research Council (CHRC) has been designated as the focal point for PANCAP to develop the elements of a programme involving exchanges of personnel and attachments from Brazil through ICTC to CHRC and PANCAP member countries and vice versa.
Participation of both Brazil through ICTC and PANCAP through CHRC, in the organization of joint forums and consultations to advance the process and to report the details of a plan of action to the Fifth AGM of PANCAP in November 2005.
3. Participation of the Brazil Business Council for HIV/AIDS at the launching of the CARICOM/PANCAP Business Coalition in the fight against HIV/AIDS on 31 October 2005 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
The Caribbean Association for Industry and Commerce (CAIC) jointly with the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean (Sir George Alleyne) to act as the designated focal point for CARICOM/PANCAP and to liaise with the Brazilian HIV/AIDS Program to ensure representation from the Brazilian Business Council for HIV/AIDS and the presentation of the experiences of Brazil. It is being suggested that Volkswagen Company Limited with whom the CARICOM/PANCAP Team held discussion during the Mission be highly considered to make the presentation of the Brazilian experience.
4. Support for Human Resource Development to enhance the capabilities of CARICOM/PANCAP for management and implementation of HIV/AIDS programmes through staff exchange and technical assistance from Brazil in the form of attachment of experts
The PANCAP Coordinating Unit (PCU), Brazilian HIV/AIDS Program and the ICTC are to establish priorities for cooperation and mechanisms for sustaining technical cooperation especially in regard to the implementation of GFATM grants and to provide training in the area of Monitoring and Evaluation.
In this regard, a tripartite ICTC-PANCAP-UNAIDS agreement would be included as part of the package of technical cooperation.
5. Exchange between Brazil and CARICOM/PANCAP in training Programmes such as those that are coordinated by the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Training (CHART) Initiative
The University of the West Indies (Jamaica) will be the focal point for PANCAP in developing the specific areas in collaboration with ICTC, identifying the mechanisms and sources of funding for implementing these programmes and report on the status to the Fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) of PANCAP November 1-3, 2005.
6. Collaborate with the Brazilian HIV/AIDS Programme and the HTCG in developing a structured position concerning the Intellectual Property Rights, including the TRIPS Agreement
The CARICOM Health and Development Programme in collaboration with the CARICOM Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) has been designated as the focal point to work with the Brazilian HIV/AIDS Program and HTCG. They will design a strategy to facilitate capacity building to interpret the flexibilities outlined in the TRIPS Agreement and prepare the appropriate legislation. A status report on this process is to be presented to the Fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) of PANCAP November 1-3, 2005.
7. Support the bilateral agreement between Brazil and Guyana for quality control of ARVs, including bio-equivalence testing
The Guyana Government (Ministry of Health) has undertaken to work with the Brazilian HIV/AIDS Program to revise the working plan agreed upon in 2004.
8. Support the bilateral agreement between Brazil and Suriname Governments for HIV/AIDS prevention activities
The Suriname Government (Ministry of Health) will be the focal point for continuation of the negotiations with the Brazilian HIV/AIDS Program.
9. Collaboration between CARICOM/PANCAP and Brazil in youth exchange programmes related to prevention and control of HIV/AIDS
Designate the CARICOM Youth Programme as the focal point for PANCAP to work with counterparts in the Brazilian HIV/AIDS Program to establish specific projects that focus on appropriate strategies that include the utilization of edutainment, harm reduction, peer exchanges and other techniques, geared to increase awareness, advocacy and prevention.
10. CARICOM/PANCAP and the Brazilian Ministry of Health will collaborate on resource mobilization initiatives to ensure the realization of these areas of agreement
To ensure effective results, a technical coordinating working group comprising representatives of the Government of Brazil, CARICOM/PANCAP and UNAIDS has been established.
This Group includes the Chair of CARICOM/PANCAP or his designate, the Minister of Health of Brazil or his designate, and the UNAIDS Coordinator for Latin American and the Caribbean or his designate. It will be responsible inter alia for soliciting additional support from bilateral and multilateral donor partners. Communications on the developments of the areas of agreement will be provided to the Constituencies on a timely basis.
Brasilia
April 8, 2005
