BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, FEBRUARY 26TH 2013 (CUOPM) – The ongoing international financial and economic crisis is having a toll on the Global HIV/AIDS Fund and the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said there has been a cutback in contributions which are vital to the world programme.
“There has now been a cut back in those contributions to the Global Fund which are going to be necessary in pursuing the important initiatives in ensuring that there is universal access to treatment and care and also to ensure by the next 5 to 10 years, we should not have any child being born with the HIV virus being transmitted from the mother to child and also making the point that we cannot let up on stigma and discrimination, especially among targeted populations,” said Prime Minister Douglas, the lead spokesman for HIV/AIDS and other health related in the Caribbean Community.
Dr. Douglas, who attended the 24th Inter-Sessional Meeting of Heads of Government in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, said that some matters are being seen as human rights issues and there is a need to end the stigma and discrimination.
“Now these issues will be taken up by our Attorneys- General throughout the Caribbean region and cooperating with Human Rights activists to ensure that this stigma and discrimination would not perpetuate the spread of the virus and so we have to tackle it from that point of view,” Dr. Douglas told the Communications Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister (CUOPM).
He said the visit and presentations to Caribbean leaders by the United Nations Co-ordinator on HIV/AIDS and the Global Fund Director were cancelled, but documents submitted provided information on the initiatives which are being pursued by the Caribbean and especially the Pan- Caribbean Partnership in the Fight Against AIDS.