Nevis May Consider Mandatory HIV Tests For Pregnant Mothers
By Pauline Waruguru
Nevis Reporter - SKNVibes.com
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Nevis marked World AIDS Day on Saturday December 1 at the Memorial Square. Activities included condom distribution, face painting and a dance by Rhythm dancers
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Charlestown; Nevis. Nevis may consider having mandatory HIV testing for pregnant mothers, Health Minister, the Hon. Hensley Daniel, said on Saturday, at a ceremony held at the Memorial Square to mark World AIDS Day.
He said this boost Mother To Child Prevention (MTCP). According to UNICEF reports, pregnant women who are HIV-positive can halve the chances of passing HIV on to their babies by taking antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Treatment options include a one-month course of zidovudine (AZT) during the last weeks of the pregnancy, or a single dose of nevirapine during delivery, followed by a single dose to the infant within 72 hours of birth. Obstetrical procedures, such as a Caesarean section, may also reduce transmission but is often not feasible in many developing countries.
Minister Daniel disclosed that there were 23 persons living with HIV in Nevis. He admitted that it was expensive to treat persons living with HIV. He told those who turned up at the World AIDS Day ceremony that the monthly cost for treating a person living HIV/AIDS with ARVs was EC$1,000.
“We must take the HIVAIDS issue seriously. The most affected persons are those in their twenties and thirties,” he said, and pointed out that if persons in these age brackets live to be 70 each person will be spending EC$12000 per year.
The Minister noted that the age group mostly affected by HIV was the productive sector of the population. He called on youth to opt for abstinence.
“The society must put abstinence on their agenda.” Daniel stated.
“We are likely to spend millions if we do not make fundamental decisions. Time has come for us to translate knowledge into decisive action,” he added.
The Health Minister said the best way to fight discrimination was to assume everybody is positive until proven otherwise, because the persons we know about are those who have been tested.
“Let’s talk to our sons, our daughters so that we may be able to say at the end of the day we have done some things to reduce HIV/AIDS,” he urged.
He noted that Nevis did not have Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s (OVC) programmes and neither did the island have Home Based Care programmes. He said these were expensive initiatives and called on Nevisians to concentrate on prevention.
“An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure,” he warned.
Nadine Caines, the Education and Prevention Officer in the Nevis HIV/AIDS Coordinating Unit, focused on this year’s World AIDS Day theme, and stated that it was quite timely.
“Since the beginning of the epidemic, experience has clearly demonstrated that significant advances in the response to HIV have been achieved when there is strong and committed leadership,” she said.
“Leaders are distinguished by their action, innovation and vision; their personal example and engagement of others; and their perseverance in the face of obstacles and challenges. However, leaders are often not those in the highest offices. Leadership must be demonstrated at every level to get ahead of the disease - in families, in communities, in countries and internationally,” Caines proclaimed.
“Much of the best leadership on HIV/AIDS has been demonstrated within civil society organisations challenging the status quo. Making leadership the theme of the next two World AIDS Days will help encourage leadership on HIV/AIDS within all levels and sectors of society. We hope it will inspire and foster champions within a range of different groups and networks at local and international levels,” she added.
Caines said to make the international theme more relevant, a local theme had been chosen – “FACE UP. HIV/AIDS is everybody’s business.”~~Adz:Right~~
