(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Under the theme Towards Universal Access: Enhancing the Multi-sectoral Response to HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean, more than 150 representatives of the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) will meet for the Ninth Annual General Meeting on 28-30 October 2009, in Grenada.

A key highlight of this ninth meeting is a Forum at which the Director of the Atlanta, USA based Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Kevin Fenton, will deliver the feature presentation under the theme The Multi-sectoral Imperative of an Effective HIV and AIDS response.

Viewpoints from the perspectives of the Region’s finance and education sectors, community of persons with HIV, among others, will be put forward in response to the presentation. A period of interaction by the general meeting follows.

Recent updates of what is new in the field of HIV and AIDS, including the latest advancement in the development of an HIV vaccine are also on the agenda.

PANCAP’S performance over the past year, and its emerging agenda will also come up for discussion in the presentation by Director of the PANCAP Coordinating Unit, Mr. Carl Browne.

The meeting opens on the evening of the 28th at which a number of addresses will be given by key leaders in the Region, including the Hon. Tillman Thomas, Prime Minister of Grenada and CARICOM Secretary-General, His Excellency Edwin Carrington. The Hon. Mme Justice D.P. Bernard of the Caribbean Court of Justice will deliver the feature address. A highlight of this ceremony is the Caribbean Coalition of National AIDS Programmes Coordinators (CCNAPC) Awards for long service.

The opening is scheduled for 6.30 p.m. at the Grenada Trade Centre, St. George’s.