St Kitts-Nevis PM calls for greater access to US President's HIV/AIDS Fund
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| Published on Friday, July 6, 2007 |
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GEORGETOWN, Guyana (GINA): Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis Dr Denzil Douglas has called for more accessibility by CARICOM Members States to the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
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| St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas |
Dr Douglas made this call during a press conference in Barbados, where CARICOM Heads held their 28th Heads of Government meeting.
Douglas, who holds the portfolio among CARICOM Heads of Government for Human Resource Development and Health including HIV/AIDS, told media representatives that only Guyana and Haiti could access the funds.
He reported however, a ‘breakthrough’ with regard to accessing the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS for those ‘middle-income’ countries of CARICOM, which have had difficulties to date accessing fund for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The Prime Minister also praised the presentation by Sir George Alleyne, who urged Heads of Government to adopt and embrace a wider interpretation of treatment of Functional Cooperation, with high priority placed on human and social development, specifically Health and Education.
Douglas said that a meeting of Heads of Government of CARICOM will be held on September 14 in Trinidad and Tobago on non communicable diseases to craft a regional strategic framework and plan of action to address the growing problem.
The Emergency Plan aims to support treatment for at least two million people living with HIV/AIDS, prevent seven million from new infections and support care for 10 million people infected with and affected by HIV, including orphans and vulnerable children.
PEPFAR works in over 120 countries, with a special emphasis on 15 countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. These countries include Botswana, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia. | | | | Reads : 369 | | | |
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