Dr. Peter Figueroa (centre), chief of Epidemiology and AIDS in the Ministry of Health, and Minister of Health John Junor observe a booklet on a HIV/AIDS sub-project to assist community based and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with HIV programmes while Grace Allen-Young, the Ministry's Permanent Secretary, reviews her notes at yesterday's launch at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, New Kingston. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer COMMUNITY BASED, faith based and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can now access US$1.5 million in additional funding to design, implement and sustain demand driven intervention programmes aimed at reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS.
These organisations can access between US$10,000 and US$25,000 to boost their programmes from a sub-project of the Health ministry's HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Project, called the HIV/AIDS Demand Driven Sub-project (HADDS), which has a booklet for interested groups.
Minister of Health, John Junor, said yesterday that the sum, being offered through the Health ministry, was part of a US$15 million loan from the World Bank approved for Government in May 2002 and aimed at funding programmes to tackle the HIV/AIDS epidemic locally.
"As you become aware of a need for a particular intervention in the fight against HIV and in the care of support of people living with HIV/AIDS, the HADDS fund will provide grants to support such projects," he said at the Hilton Kingston in New Kingston, yesterday.
Speaking at the launch of the sub-project, Dr. Peter Figueroa, head of the Epidemiology and AIDS section of the Ministry, and Yitades Gebre, a key player in HIV/AIDS/sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) prevention and control programme, made it clear there would be stringent guidelines governing the grants.
They said, though, that groups could begin accessing funds in less than four weeks providing they fit the Ministry's criteria. Dr. Gebre said groups could begin submitting proposals to the Ministry's National HIV programme as early as today.
Priority would be given to projects which did not duplicate existing interventions and were innovative in addressing marginalised and other communities which were difficult to reach, health officials said.
Minister Junor also told the audience that the Government had taken preliminary steps towards having a National HIV/AIDS workplace policy which would help reduce the stigma and discrimination of HIV positive persons in spheres such as the workplace.
