Lascelles Chin (left), Chairman of the Lasco Group of Companies, has the attention of fellow participants in the Caribbean Coalition of National AIDS Programme Coordinators (CCNAPC) Advocacy and Policy Workshop held yesterday at the Courtleigh hotel, New Kingston. At right is Miriam Maluwa, UNAIDS Country Representative to Jamaica, the Bahamas and Cuba. Others in photo from left are: Suzette Moses Burton, Chairman, CCNAPC; Renee West Mendoza; and Dr. David Smith, UNDP officer. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
PRIME MINISTER Portia Simpson Miller should follow the example of the previous Prime Minister of Thailand and become the figurehead for the national HIV/AIDS campaign, believes chairman of Lasco Group of Companies, Lascelles Chin.
Mr. Chin is a well-known campaigner on the issue, and in 2001, Lasco took the step of selling affordable HIV/AIDS medicines known as retrovirals at up to 10 per cent of the cost of brand name drugs.
At a workshop of the Caribbean Coalition of National AIDS Programme of Co-ordinators, at the Courtleigh Hotel, New Kingston, Mr. Chin told The Gleaner he based his comments on his participation in a recent Jamaican delegation to Thailand. He said that country has been hailed internationally for its best practices on HIV/AIDS when then-Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun took over portfolio responsibility for HIV/AIDS.
SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEM
"I think that prime ministers in all countries can do this and, whenever a prime minister heads the move, HIV/AIDS does reduce," Mr. Chin stated. "But everybody has to do more because HIV is a serious health problem. You only have to look at what has happened in Africa and we do not want that problem to become as serious here."
Information Minister Colin Campbell said he could not answer for Mrs. Simpson Miller, given that he had not yet discussed her policies for HIV/AIDS with her. He said, however, that "she is very keen that we should take a lead on HIV/AIDS."
