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St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Denzil L. Douglas (Photo by Erasmus Williams) |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, OCTOBER 31ST 2005 - St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Denzil L. Douglas is this evening launching the PAN-CARIBBEAN Business Coalition on the HIV/AIDS at a ceremony in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Its inauguration at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, comes amid deep concerns by the region's public and private sectors over the rising social and economic consequences for Caribbean economies by this major killer disease.
The launch coincides with the Fifth Annual General Meeting of the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP), of which Prime Minister Douglas is chairman. Dr. Douglas also lead responsibility among Caricom leaders for health development.
This evening's launch of the Business Coalition (CAIC)-organised Pan Caribbean Executive Forum on HIV/AIDS earlier in the day at which Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Patrick Manning gave the feature address. Established in 2001, PANCAP is the principal mechanism of the Caribbean Community responsible for coordinating the region's response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Discussions at this week's three-day meeting on HIV/AIDS will be informed by the findings and recommendations of the high-level "Caribbean Commission on Health and Development. whose very comprehensive report was submitted to CARICOM leaders at their 26th Summit in Castries, St. Lucia, last July.
