Taming the beast - Focuss on HIV/AIDS

The United Nations General Assembly (New York) last month held a special session on HIV/AIDS.

Eulalee Thompson

Entrenched stigmas, myths, discrimination and irresponsible sexual practices are some of the factors working in tandem to perpetuate the spread of HIV/AIDS in Jamaica, according to health experts.

As the disease enters its third decade, its prevalence has peaked in a developed country such as the United States of America and is now on the decline; it has basically levelled off in Latin American countries but is still climbing in the Caribbean states and in some other developing countries.

It was with this background that the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS was held last month.

Dr. Peter Figueroa, the Health Ministry's chief medical officer (CMO) (who was a member of the Jamaican delegation to the meeting) said that a major concern of the Caribbean states when they met in caucus was the need to make expensive antiretroviral drugs available to persons with AIDS.

This, he said, requires a concerted effort to negotiate a significant reduction in the prices of the drugs. A small technical team was designated to oversee the development of a regional plan for HIV/AIDS treatment and care.

Dr. Figueroa also said that the Caribbean contingent was concerned whether the Global Fund for AIDS was available to support developing countries without undue delay, conditionalities or bureaucracy. The Caribbean would like to be represented on the Board of the Global Fund and to be in Brussels this month when the terms of reference and composition of the Board are determined.

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