Facebook
At the end of 2007, an estimated 230,000 people were living with HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean. Some 20,000 people were newly infected during 2007, and there were 14,000 deaths due to AIDS.
In two countries in this region - the Bahamas and Haiti - more than 2% of the adult population is living with HIV. Higher prevalence rates are found only in sub-Saharan Africa, making the Caribbean the second-most affected region in the world. Half of adults living with the virus are women.
AIDS is now one of the leading causes of death in some of these countries, with Haiti being the worst affected. An estimated 7,500 lives are lost each year to AIDS in Haiti, and thousands of children have been orphaned by the epidemic.
With the rapid increase in HIV/AIDS cases here in the Caribbean and Jamaica it was really a sigh of relief when hundreds turned out for HIV/AIDS testing on 26th of June at nine Scotiabank locations, an estimated 1,664.
The event was the second of its kind hosted by Scotiabank in collaboration with National HIV/STI Programme in the Ministry of Health and the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV and AIDS. It was conducted one day ahead of the internationally observed HIV-testing day.
One of the main aims of the session is to reach out to males in particular, as last year's knowledge, attitudes, practices and behaviour survey shows more women test for HIV than men.
It was reported that at the town kingston branch a total of 454 person got tested, 54 more than the expected amount for the day.
I think we are moving forward, forward into an era where persons are becoming more conscious about there their wellbeing... way to go jamaica..........." one one cocoa full basket"
