No time to lose in HIV fight

By Jaevion Nelson

On December 1, observed annually as World AIDS Day, we will join millions of people around the world to celebrate our progress in halting and reversing the spread of HIV, and reducing AIDS-related deaths. Most important, the day is an opportunity to "raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate international solidarity in the face of the pandemic" and remind ourselves of the tremendous work to be done to get to zero new HIV infections and zero AIDS-related deaths (World Health Organization).

Immediately after World AIDS Day, the United States will convene a meeting in Washington, DC, for governments and private-sector entities worldwide, to encourage them to continue to fund the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria. "The Global Fund is a unique public-private partnership and international financing institution that brings together governments, civil society and the private sector to work together to save lives in 151 countries." The replenishment meeting, under the theme 'No Time to Lose: Our Shared Responsibility to Save Lives', aims to get US$15 billion to invest in the recent innovations and scientific progress that has made it possible to see the end of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

The International Civil Society Support posits that "We are at the tipping point in the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria. [Therefore,] to make good on recent innovations and scientific progress that have made it possible to see the end [of] AIDS, TB, and malaria." We must, therefore, join the Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN) in encouraging donors, our Government, and other implementing countries to save the lives of millions of people around the world, including 32,000 Jamaicans who are living with HIV, and preventing new HIV infections.

CALL TO ACTION

GFAN has issued a call to action which asks them to:

1. Recommit to the goals of increased strategic investments and scaling up of treatment, prevention, care and support programmes for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

2. Fully fund the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria by collectively committing at least US$15 billion in this replenishment year in new contributions for 2014-2016.

3. Recommit to increased domestic investments targets for health and increased total health expenditure per capita in all countries affected by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

You can and should support the campaign by signing the petition available at www.hereiamcampaign.org/sign-on-2/ or speaking and writing to members of the diplomatic corps from donor countries in Jamaica.

You might ask, why is this important? The Global Fund has been the main donor/funder for HIV programmes in Jamaica over the years. It has provided over US$23 billion to support more than 1,000 HIV and AIDS, TB, and malaria programmes in more than 150 countries. The Global Fund has had tremendous impact on these three diseases. 5.3 million people are now on antiretroviral therapy for AIDS, 11 million people have been tested and treated for tuberculosis, and 340 million insecticide-treated bed nets have been distributed to protect many families against malaria (The Global Fund).

Specifically, in Jamaica, the Global Fund has provided over US$47 million (nearly J$5 billion) since June 2004 for programmes (up to July 2015) targeting young people, men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who use drugs, prisoners, and other people who are vulnerable to and affected by HIV and AIDS, to the government and civil society. Programmes funded include antiretroviral therapy for over 60 per cent of people who need treatment, educational support for people who are socially vulnerable, condoms, HIV testing, human-rights and HIV education, among others.

A LOT TO CELEBRATE

We have a lot to celebrate in the HIV and AIDS response over the years. Globally, there has been a 33 per cent reduction in new HIV infections compared to 2001. In the Caribbean, we have collectively worked to reduce new infections by 42 per cent (well above the global average) between 2005 and 2011.

Locally, there is also reason to celebrate. We have reduced HIV prevalence among sex workers by half, from nine per cent in 2005 to 4.1 per cent in 2011; prevalence among antenatal clinic attendees is less than one per cent. We have achieved the elimination target of congenital syphilis, based on the transmission rates for the period 2008 to 2010 of three consecutive years of transmission rates of less than 0.3 per 1,000 live births; and less than five per cent of children are born with HIV.

We have clearly done well. However, there are still significant challenges and our ability to address these does not hinge only on our Government and civil society, but international partners such as the Global Fund. Nearly 80 per cent of all reported AIDS cases in Jamaica are among young adults in the 20-49-year-old age group, half of the 32,000 people living with HIV (PLHIV) do not know their status and only a quarter receive treatment (although over 60 per cent who need antiretrovirals get them). Read the 2012 progress report at http://bit.ly/1cMdWmn.

I encourage you to help in the response to HIV and AIDS. Further information about what you can do to support this critical advocacy is available on the Here I Am campaign webpage at www.hereiamcampaign.org.

Jaevion Nelson is a youth development, HIV and human rights advocate. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and jaevion@gmail.com.