(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Today we join our PANCAP brothers and sisters in commemorating World AIDS Day and remembering those we have lost to this dreadful disease. We reiterate our commitment to UNAIDS’ vision of zero discrimination, zero new HIV infections, and zero AIDS related deaths through universal access to effective HIV prevention, treatment care and support and redouble our efforts to make this a reality.

As challenging as combating the HIV and AIDS pandemic remains, we must remain strong and resolute as we continue on our path to HIV elimination and draw courage and motivation to carry on our efforts from the progress that we have been making in the Caribbean. We must never let the challenges that we encounter on a daily basis in this fight bring despair or hopelessness.

Reports show that the Caribbean has made significant progress in a number of areas but there is still much more that has to be done. According to UNAIDS 2010 report, in the past decade there was an overall reduction of AIDS-related deaths by 43 percent, a 14.3 percent decrease in new HIV infections and close to 50 percent of persons needing antiretroviral drugs according the WHO new criteria receiving such treatment. Had there not been a revision of the criteria for initiating treatment, this figure would have been closer to 70 percent. While these and other encouraging figures demonstrate that the Caribbean has made some definite strides in responding to the HIV epidemic, there must be an intensification of our efforts to reduce the number of new HIV infections if “this region is to turn the tide of the epidemic.”

It is for these reasons that we must all recognize, acknowledge and sustain the efforts made and being made by the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP). In its 10 years of existence PANCAP has been in the vanguard of raising awareness, mobilizing resources and coordinating responses around identified priorities. PANCAP has championed the cause and continues to develop and coordinate the implementation of programmes across the region designed to reduce stigma and discrimination, accelerate the agenda for achieving universal access to prevention, care, treatment and support services and collaborate to increase awareness of the need to develop anti stigma and discrimination policies and legislation. In a resource constrained environment, PANCAP has enhanced the coordination of prevention, treatment and care activities throughout the Caribbean. Its role in reducing the impact of HIV and AIDS is undeniable and sustaining PANCAP’s institutional capacity cannot be over emphasized.

However, there is no room for complacency and I wish to reiterate a few initiatives that the Partnership must undertake to achieve UNAIDS’ target of “three Zero”. As the Director of PANCAP, Ms. Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland alluded to at the just concluded 11th PANCAP AGM, the Partnership has to become a more country focused, goal driven, learning organization that is able to respond flexibly to emerging needs.

For this to happen, there must first be strong political commitment and engagement at both the national and regional levels. The political directorate must know their country epidemics to aid in decision making and priority setting. We must deepen our engagement with Parliamentarians and faith leaders to earn their support on policy development issues and to advance the human rights agenda.

Secondly, governance issues need to be taken into consideration. The structure and governance of National AIDS Programmes (NAPs) must be looked at carefully to ensure that they are suited to responding to the local epidemic and that their programmes are cost-effective and able to assist their governments in meeting targets and project deliverables. The governance of National AIDS Programmes should seek to effectively mobilize efforts of the public and private sectors and non-governmental actors in national strategic planning and programme implementation and monitoring and evaluation.

Thirdly, the Partnership has to focus its efforts on Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago if we want to see a significant decrease in the HIV incidence and AIDS-related death rates across the region, while at the same sustaining the gains made in other countries. Prevention iniatives must be a priority.

Fourthly, the general consensus coming out of the September UN High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Disease is that there must be a stronger conceptual and strategic link between national efforts around chronic non-communicable diseases and HIV. HIV is now viewed as a chronic disease and many persons living with HIV (PLHIV) are affected with co-morbidities such as diabetes.

Additionally, I wish to reiterate that long term commitments are necessary for sustainable and effective HIV and AIDS programming in the Caribbean. UNAIDS has stated that an analysis of epidemiological and behavioural data shows eliminating the HIV pandemic calls for investment in and programming for some of the most-at-risk populations including men who have sex with men (MSM), male and females sex workers and drug users, who are disproportionately affected by HIV.

It is well recognized that for the HIV and AIDS response to be effective it must include both private and public actors working effectively together and supporting each other. This is a critical role of the PANCAP Partnership. The nature of the PANCAP means that every partner has to work within its own mandate and area of comparative advantage, while fostering an environment for all partners to pursue their respective programmes in a harmonized and coordinated fashion.

It is my firm belief that the Caribbean through the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS is well poised to undertake UNAIDS’ “Zero” challenge and to make the HIV pandemic a thing of the past.

My very best wishes to you on this World AIDS Day 2011.

CONTACT: piu@caricom.org
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