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Jamaica
reports an 18 percent drop in AIDS deaths in 2006 |
December 1, 2007: MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (JIS): Jamaica
is making gains in the fight against HIV/AIDS with an 18 per
cent reduction in reported AIDS deaths in 2006 over 2005.
Within the same period, there was also a 49 per cent drop in
the number of reported AIDS deaths among children under nine
years old.
“This decline we attribute to the prevention of mother to
child transmission programme and increased access to
anti-retroviral treatments,” said Minister of Health Ruddy
Spencer, in a speech read by the Environment Health and
Safety Manager, Lisa Simpson, at an HIV/AIDS conference for
leaders held on Tuesday in Montego Bay.
He noted that despite the gains, “we have to re-double our
efforts to stem the spread of HIV/AIDS” by expanding
education and prevention activities within the communities,
workplaces, and churches, and among young people in and out
of school.
“All of us have a responsibility to make our corner
open-friendly and supportive of persons living with HIV. We
must intervene whenever stigma or discrimination occurs in
order to stop it. I call on leaders everywhere in Jamaica to
stand up and become an HIV/AIDS advocate,” the Health and
Environment Minister urged.
The conference, which was hosted by the St James Health
Department in collaboration with the HIV/STI Prevention and
Control Programme under the theme: ‘Stop AIDS; Keep the
promise … through leadership,’ drew attention to the social
and economic problems associated with HIV/AIDS and to
encourage strong multi-sectoral leadership in the fight
against the disease. |
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Some 60 leaders from government and non-governmental
organizations, the church, law enforcement and private
sector groups participated in the event.
Spencer noted that the focus of the conference on leaders is
in keeping with this year’s World AIDS Day theme of
‘Leadership for Life’.
“On behalf of the government of Jamaica, I urge every leader
in Jamaica to support this emphasis,” Spencer said. “As a
leader, we have a special responsibility to draw attention
to the serious challenges that we face, one of which is the
HIV/AIDS and its potential devastating impact on the
economic and social fabric of the nation, if it is not
halted,” he stated.
HIV/AIDS Prevention Technical Officer for Western Jamaica,
Sheryl Peart, said that “what we would like to see coming
out of this conference is that the (private sector)
stakeholders will be responsible enough to either begin a
workplace programme, do something active towards the fight
against the disease in collaboration with us of course,
because that is the sustainable approach”.
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