St Kitts PM calls for more help for people living with AIDS

St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas addresses 
participants of the Third Annual General Meeting of the PANCAP 
in Guyana via a telephone link from his office in St. Kitts on 
Wednesday morning (Photo by Erasmus Williams)

Thursday, November 13, 2003

BASSETERRE, St Kitts: St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas has warned of the challenges the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) will face to ensure that there is a more judicious system of sharing and maximising the resources in the interest of people living with AIDS and in averting the spread off HIV/AIDS.

Addressing participants attending the Third Annual General Meeting of PANCAP in a live telephone link from his office in Basseterre on Wednesday, the St. Kitts and Nevis leader, noted that even though the Caribbean Region has much to celebrate with the recent announcement of grant awards from the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS and TB and malaria, "there is still a large gap to be filled, if we are to fully respond to the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS in this region against the Caribbean people."

Prime Minister Douglas, who is also the Chair of PANCAP and CARICOM's lead spokesman on HIV/AIDS and other health related issues noted that PANCAP was established as a network through which the regional governments, private sector, NGOs and other entities could pool resources to more effectively fight this disease.

Dr. Douglas said HIV is a disease that is diminishing the region's vital human resources, especially the young, young mothers and their babies. 

"It creates further inequalities among our peoples, especially when access to care and treatment are denied to many because they are unable to afford the necessary anti retroviral drugs (ARVs) that would definitely improve their chances of surviving and leading useful and productive lives. HIV/AIDS, if not checked would render meaningless all our plans for the CARICOM Single Market and Economy and a competitive region within the global system," said Prime Minister Douglas.

He noted that since the initiation of the Partnership with the signing of the Partnership Agreement in February 2001 in Barbados, several agencies have contributed in no uncertain way to the strengthening of PANCAP. 

"Among these is the European Union that provided the first substantial support for enhancing the institutional capability of our PANCAP partners. This grant has acted as a catalyst for core support from other agencies to PANCAP," said Prime Minister Douglas who said PANCAP is grateful to several donors who have since contributed to the building of the PANCAP Coordinating Unit.

Dr. Douglas said he was encouraged that the PANCAP Meeting was focusing on the implementation of the new structure and functions that were recommended at the second annual meeting of PANCAP last year.

He said it was also important that after three years, PANCAP is placing emphasis on regularising the organisational structure and functions of the network in an attempt to more effectively carry out its objectives. "In this regard, I am very pleased to note that vital stakeholder groups are designed to play a much more active role in the decision making structure of PANCAP," said Prime Minister Douglas.

He noted that one of the main items of the agenda is discussion on a concerted strategy for securing cheaper antiretroviral drugs. 

"When on behalf of PANCAP, I signed the agreement in principle with six pharmaceutical Companies in Barcelona in July 2002 it was a landmark move, insofar as we were the first regional entity, along with the South West African States to arrive at a collective price for ARVs. In fact, it was at this meeting that I invited former US President, Bill Clinton to become more actively in the fight against HIV/AIDS here in the Caribbean Region," said Prime Minister Douglas.

"I expect that this meeting will give its fullest attention to the regional strategy that would make ARVs accessible to the people living with AIDS especially the poor and vulnerable groups," said Dr. Douglas, who noted that besides PANCAP and the OECS, the Global Fund also approved proposals from Belize, Guyana, Haiti and Jamaica.

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