(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) joins millions of people around the world in commemorating World AIDS Day – 1 December 2011. This year’s commemoration is appropriately themed “Getting to Zero: Zero New HIV Infections; Zero Discrimination; and Zero AIDS Related Deaths” calls on all of us to move beyond the traditional routine responses that have been employed in the past in fighting HIV and to use innovative and creative ways in reducing new HIV infections, deaths and discrimination.
One specific area of regional success in reducing new infections is in Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) of the disease. The Caribbean has been the first champion of the global initiative to eliminate mother to child transmission. CARICOM States are witnessing dramatic reductions in this mode of transmission. The Bahamas for example, recorded zero transmission in 2010. There are still, however, challenges which must be addressed before we can achieve the other “Zeros” – Challenges that confront us at both the country and regional levels and which require shared responsibility.
The first challenge is to ensure that we are responding adequately and effectively to country needs. There is no denying that stakeholders, especially at the country level, question the impact of some regional efforts on the ground. We need to support countries to build the public/private non-governmental organisation (NGO) collaboration to achieve a more effective HIV and AIDS response. We also need to put in place mechanisms to give countries a greater voice in project formulation or to build flexibility in project implementation to ensure that outcomes match needs, at the country level.
Information sharing remains a major challenge in the HIV and AIDS response in the Caribbean. Countries must recognise that there is value in the collection and sharing of information, as it supports a more improved coordinated effort in the fight against HIV.
Yet another critical challenge is resource mobilisation, particularly given the severe economic hardships being experienced by many countries as a result of the global recession. As traditional funding streams for HIV dwindle, research grants and other competitive grants become important sources of funding. Additionally, we must pay greater attention to avoid duplication of effort in the regional response.
The Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) is focusing on these and other challenges in our regional effort to get to Zero. Since its establishment in 2001, PANCAP has worked tirelessly to help alleviate the impact of HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean. With its multi-sectoral focus, PANCAP continues to bring together governments, NGOs, private sector groups, faith-based organisations and donor agencies, to coordinate both treatment and prevention efforts in the Region. There is no denying that PANCAP’s programmes have contributed and continue to contribute significantly, to accelerating the HIV and AIDS response agenda throughout the Region and its presence and programming must be sustained.
People of the Caribbean, World AIDS Day and its focus on “Zero” is an opportunity for all of us – individuals, communities and political leaders, to take action and ensure that we achieve the elimination of HIV and AIDS not only in the Caribbean but around the world.
I thank you!!
