Carib leaders step up AIDS fight

Lynford Simpson, Staff Reporter

The regional fight against HIV/AIDS has intensified with the Nassau Declaration on Health (2001), by Caribbean leaders who attended last week's Heads of Government Conference in Nassau, Bahamas.

The high incidence of HIV/AIDS in the region which ranks second only to sub-Saharan Africa on a per capita basis, was a main agenda item at the four-day conference which ended Friday. The declaration and plan of action is an indication of the seriousness with which the leaders view the pandemic gripping the region.

The CARICOM leaders committed themselves to a five-year plan to deal with the problem, which has had its biggest impact on the 19 to 44 age group, and a potential crippling effect on the region's labour force.

"We commit ourselves to the pursuit of initiatives and targets to be implemented to achieve an improved health status of our populations within the next five years, emphasising leadership, strategic planning, management, implementation and resource mobilisation," the leaders stated in the declaration issued late Friday night.

They said they understood the critical role of health in the economic development of the people of the region, and were "overawed by the fact that our current health problems, especially HIV/AIDS may impede such development through the devastation of our human capital".

They also said they had recognised that the escalation of the health problems in the region was evidence of the deficiencies in the approaches taken so far, in tackling the problem. They have promised a "re-orienting and restructuring of the health" services.

Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Denzel Douglas, who has Prime Ministerial responsibility for health, said emphasis will be placed on accessing services for vulnerable groups especially the youths, and the empowerment of women. For those already infected with the virus, greater efforts will be made in the international arena to make pharmaceutical companies provide anti-retro viral drugs at a more affordable cost.

Back to Lead Stories