Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter
JUNOR
HEALTH MINISTER John Junor says if Jamaica is to achieve Universal Access in HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support by 2010, all sexually-active persons will have to be tested to determine their status.
According to Mr. Junor, an estimated 20,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS, and of that total, approximately 15,000 are not aware that they are living with the disease. He noted that this represents a reservoir for the spread of the disease. "And we cannot have universal access if people are not aware of their
status," he said.
The Health Minister was speaking yesterday at a two-day regional consultation meeting on universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support, held at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston.
The Universal Access to treatment by 2010 came out of the United Nations 2005 World Summit. Its main aim is to expand AIDS programmes and to support countries to put in place a comprehensive range of effective services.
50 PER CENT BEING TREATED
Mr. Junor told the gathering of delegates from across the region that about 50 per cent of the total number of persons in Jamaica living with HIV/AIDS are being treated. He noted that the donor agency, Global Fund, has provided financial support for the public access programme.
He said within a 15-month period, his ministry was able to put about 1,500 people living with HIV/AIDS on anti-retroviral drugs. In addition, Mr. Junor said there was an estimated 500 persons in the private sector that were on anti-retroviral drugs.
The Health Minister told the meeting that much remained to be done in strengthening the response to HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean.
"If at the end of this process (achieving universal access), we have not delivered, we would have jeopardised the integrity of these persons (living with HIV/AIDS) for generations to come."
He added: "In the final analysis, we have to recognise that the beneficiaries of these programmes must be the people who are in fact suffering and living with HIV/AIDS," he said.
Meanwhile, Luiz Loures, director for Global Initiative at UNAIDS, said the criteria for eligibility for funding of HIV/AIDS programmes for developing countries are unfair because they capture how the economy is growing, but do not explore the determinants of HIV/AIDS.
