(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) The decision by the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) and its partners: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the German Development Bank (KfW) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for a regional social marketing programme represents a new landmark in the Caribbean's response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This decision was the result of a joint agency meeting that was concluded in Georgetown earlier this week.

The Pan Caribbean Social Marketing Programme (PCSMP) allows for collaboration on programmes promoting behavioural change and the use of condoms as part of the overall preventive strategy for HIV and other socially transmitted infections (STIs).

Funding for this programme, including those activities that will be implemented at country level and targets schools; community groups; youth and other vulnerable groups, is being provided by CIDA and KfW as well as CARICOM.

This social marketing programme complements the other areas of PANCAP's activities which include care and treatment through increasing access to ARVs, and the reduction of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. It also complements other social marketing initiatives funded by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) and the World Bank.

Over the next five years this programme estimated at approximately US$15M is expected to contribute greatly to the reduction in the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS for which the Caribbean is second only to Sub Saharan Africa.

The implementation agreement was signed by CARICOM Secretariat Assistant Secretary General for Human and Social Development, Dr. Edward Greene on behalf of PANCAP; Mr Hans Moerkerk, Advisor to the Executive Director, UNAIDS; Ms Carmen Schickinger, Senior Programme Manager, KfW; and Ms. Micheline Gilbert, Senior Programme Officer, CIDA.