“We have to ensure that the interest of the Caribbean is protected.”
– CARICOM DSG ahead of 78th World Health Assembly
"At the CARICOM Secretariat, we recognise that the work you do is at the heart of our Region’s development agenda. Health, equity, and resilience are not just aspirations, they are the foundation of a stronger, more sustainable Caribbean. While the road to achieving our targets may not always be smooth, the CARICOM Secretariat remains steadfast in its support to each of you, to each Member State, and to the communities we serve together."
Kingston, Jamaica, 7 May 2024 – Belize, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are the latest countries in the Americas to receive certification from the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating the mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis (EMTCT). The milestone was marked today at a commemorative event organized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Kingston, Jamaica, with support from UNICEF and UNAIDS and with the participation of health ministers from the three countries.
Seventy-five Guyanese public health and clinical practitioners have been recognised for their dedication and commitment to advancing their skills in global health.
The Caribbean has made progress in responding to the HIV epidemic, but an evaluation done last year has found that the impact of the prevention response has been inadequate, particularly among key populations.
This year’s World AIDS Day theme “Know your status” encourages us to be tested to know whether we are HIV negative or positive. This theme is very relevant as the world has committed to Fast Track actions towards achieving the 90-90-90 treatment targets by the year 2020. The UNAIDS 2018 Global AIDS Monitoring (GAM) report informs us that there are an estimated 310,000 adults and children living with HIV in the Caribbean, of which nearly 55,000 are unaware that they have HIV.
(PANCAP Coordinating Unit, CARICOM Secretariat): Director of PANCAP, Dereck Springer recently held discussions with the Inter Religious Organization of Guyana (IRO) on the role of faith leaders in ending AIDS. The Director is advocating for faith leaders to leverage their influence with the communities they serve, youth and vulnerable populations to propagate HIV prevention including testing and other issues related to the achievement of the 90-90-90 Targets and the 2030 goal of ending AIDS.
The Spouses of CARICOM Leaders Action Network (SCLAN) is pleased to announce the receipt of grant funding from Gilead Sciences Inc. for initiatives under the theme “Transforming Lives through Innovation: Implementation of high-impact prevention programs for adolescents, young men and women”.
Thursday 5 April 2018, Georgetown Guyana: Sustainability of the Region’s HIV response continues to be a priority of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP). Today, 5 April 2018, Director of PANCAP Mr Dereck Springer met with Finance Secretary Dr Hector Butts at the Ministry of Finance (Guyana) to discuss sustainability and HIV domestic financing.
Mr Springer was accompanied by Dr Martin Oditt, UNAIDS Country Director and Dr Edward Greene, PANCAP Advisor.
