Let’s fight AIDS together

Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday issued a clarion call for “every man, woman, and child  from politician to social worker, from health care professionals to man in the street, from employer to employee, from men of religion to our artists, from those enjoying health to the afflicted” to get involved in the war against HIV/AIDS. It was a who’s who of Government, diplomatic corps, business, religion, health and non-governmental organisations at yesterday’s launch of the National HIV/AIDS Coordinating Comm-ittee (NACC) and five-year (2004-2008) National Strategic Plan (NSP) at the Hilton Trinidad Ballroom.

Manning said the launch of the Plan and Committee represented an intensification of TT’s offensive against HIV/AIDS. “If there are any two initiatives that need the unconditional commitment and support of every single citizen of TT, it is these two,” Manning said. He reminded that HIV/AIDS posed a danger to everyone and brought tragedy not only for individuals, but also TT’s social and economic development. Under the NSP, more than $568 million will be distributed through annual budgetary allocations to combat the virus. Manning said the largest allocation — $370 million, will go toward treatment and support for those infected with HIV. Prevention will receive an allocation of $132 million. Manning said this is expected to avert 3,864 new infections over the five-year period and “is based on the assumption that the prevention programme will be effective in decreasing the incidence rate to 30 percent of its 2003 level.”

A range of strategies will be used in the NSP. Among them: a national programme to heighten education and awareness, the introduction of special youth counselling services facilities through the introduction of youth “drop in” centres, significant increases in the level of accessibility of treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS, increased capacity for detection and surveillance through increased levels of pre- and post-HIV-infection testing. Referring to TT’s involvement in HIV vaccine trials, Manning announced plans to go further with the establishment of  laboratories with necessary infrastructure and equipment for high level research. “It is our intention to make this country a premier centre for AIDS research in the Caribbean.” An evaluation done by the  National Surveillance Unit and Caribbean Epidemiology Centre has estimated that reported cases only captured 35 percent of all infection. Manning said estimates indicate that the number of people living with the disease could range between 20,000 and 40,000.