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“Political will is not merely a requirement it is an absolute non-negotiable”
– Angelica Hunt, Acting Resident Coordinator, United Nations, Trinidad & Tobago
– Angelica Hunt, Acting Resident Coordinator, United Nations, Trinidad & Tobago
Every day at least fifty persons become infected with HIV in the Caribbean region. At the end of 2009, there were 240,000 persons living with HIV (PLHIV) in the region. Almost 50% of PLHIV are now receiving treatment. However, new HIV infections are outpacing treatment in the Caribbean. In 2009, for every 50 persons starting antiretroviral treatment (ART) in the Caribbean, there were 70 new HIV infections.
In this regard, the Honourable Rodger Samuel, Minister in the Officer of the Prime Minister, Trinidad & Tobago, said the region must do more to find solutions to chart the way forward to respond effectively and appropriately to HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean. He encouraged policymakers and civil society organisations to allow young people to participate meaningfully at all levels of the response to HIV and AIDS in the region.
Samuel was speaking at the opening ceremony Regional Consultation for the Caribbean Universal Access to HIV Prevention, Treatment, Care & Support in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. The consultation is being convened by the UNAIDS Caribbean Regional Office from March 23-24, 2011.
This consultation is important to assess the status of HIV in the region and move to action and the platitudes of the past and facilitate new leadership to scale up efforts to universal access.
Jan Beagle, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, highlighted that the HIV/AIDS is a movement for social justice and equity, development and human rights. She encouraged policymakers, political leaders and civil society representatives present to move outside of their comfort zones to find solutions to universal access in the region.
There are too many blockages, such as inadequate policies, antiquated laws and social and religious norms, which threaten the goal of getting to zero in the Caribbean. Regrettably, regional leaders know what has worked and what needs to be done but we lack the will to scale up services and reform laws and policies to achieve our goal to get to zero.
The regional goal to universal access and getting to zero new infections, AIDS related deaths and stigma and discrimination will be a hard task if we do not promote innovativeness and wide sectoral approach among all stakeholders in the response to HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean.
According to Angelica Hunt, Acting Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Trinidad & Tobago highlighted that we need to do things differently to get to zero in the Caribbean. She noted that such an achievement would need honesty about what we know and how to proceed as a region. It takes gumption and fearlessness by building on success and face new challenges. It also takes stamina.
We need to come up with strategies that are new and different to ensure that we do more to have zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS related deaths and zero stigma and discrimination. In addition, we must strategize around expanding leadership in the HIV/AIDS movement.
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