Today, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the members of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) join our brothers and sisters throughout the world symbolizing our deepest commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS. This disease, which is the highest cause of death among our youth between the ages of 15-29, as well as our most productive workforce between 15-44 years, has deep social and economic implications for us all.

Therefore as we reflect on this 19th World AIDS Day which is being observed to celebrate the progress made in our response to this epidemic and to bring focus to future challenges, we are provided with an opportunity to reaffirm existing commitments and make new ones that are all designed to improve the quality of life of both the infected and affected.

Over the past year, PANCAP - the regional network which brings together stakeholders from across the wider Caribbean, including fifteen CARICOM Countries, six Associates, the English, Dutch and French Overseas Countries and Territories as well as Cuba and the Dominican Republic – has endeavoured to keep the promise to reduce the spread of this dreaded disease and there are achievements worthy of mention:

• The Agreement with Brazil for the supply of ARVs to persons with AIDS (PWA)in the eight countries within the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

• Region-wide consultations to define the roadmap for achieving Universal Access to prevention, care, treatment and support by 2010.

• Advancing the fight against stigma and discrimination through the Champions for Change process. PANCAP, in collaboration with the UK Department for International Development (DFID), brings on board representatives of the Region’s media industries at a third Conference, in the week after World AIDS Day 2006.

• New strategic directions which include increased emphasis on policy research to assist countries to make decisions on such matters of behavioural change and preventive strategies.

• Ten years of consolidated advocacy for people living with HIV and AIDS as the Caribbean Regional Network (CRN+) grows from strength to strength.

Twenty-five years into the epidemic, 2006 marks five years of the Declaration of Commitment on AIDS, to which a number of our countries are signatories. The year also marks five years of PANCAP.

PANCAP at five must reflect on how diligent it has been in keeping the promise to halt and reverse the epidemic. It must be held accountable for the fact that while -

• statistics indicate a reduction in the actual number of deaths from HIV and AIDS in 2005-2006 in the Caribbean, the Region still has the distinction of having the second highest prevalence rate in the world;

• we continue to negotiate for cheaper ARVs and there is evidence that between 10-15 percent of PWA have access to ARVs, there is room for great improvement in the area of care and treatment;

• more persons are coming forward to be tested, the number could be higher if we were to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS;

• PANCAP has mobilized over US$ 42.5 M for regional programmes over the past five years, there is still a funding gap if we are to ensure a more effective response to HIV/AIDS.

If only because we are accountable, we must, to say the least, continue to advocate for the multilateral agencies to change their polices which deny middle income countries like The Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and many of the small OECS countries from easier access to grants. We must continue to advocate for the provision of resources to the overseas countries and territories of the Partnership. We must accelerate the process of moving towards the harmonisation of programmes and donor resources. We must institutionalize governance and accountability structures for the Partnership. We must develop synergies between regional and national programmes and reduce the duplication of roles among core partners.

This year’s message is indeed timely. We must be accountable if we are to keep the promise.