KINGSTON, 21 April, 2014 -- This month partners involved in the global and regional HIV response paid a courtesy call on Jamaican Prime Minister, the Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller. The meeting focussed on Jamaica’s role in propelling the Caribbean to meet the global challenge of ending stigma and discrimination as well as reducing new HIV infections and deaths due to AIDS. The dialogue led to commitments to elevate the regional human rights agenda and to collaborate with other countries on innovative approaches to strengthen HIV responses.
The April 9th visiting delegation included St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Denzil Douglas; United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy on HIV for the Caribbean, Edward Greene; Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) Deputy Executive Director, Luiz Loures; Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Mark Dybul; United Nations Resident Coordinator for Jamaica, Arun Kashyap; UNAIDS Caribbean Regional Support Team Director, Ernest Massiah and UNAIDS Jamaica Country Director, Kate Spring.
Mr Loures recognised the Prime Minister’s leadership in the global AIDS response. Prime Minister Simpson-Miller sits on the UNAIDS and Lancet Commission: Defeating AIDS—Advancing global health. The Commission is responsible for deliberating on strategies to ensure that the principles and achievements of the AIDS response inform a more equitable, effective, and sustainable global health agenda.
Prime Minister Douglas noted that despite the successes of the Caribbean HIV response including declining rates of new infections and deaths due to AIDS, much more must be done to address stigma and discrimination. He noted that the “Justice For All” programme—a sequence of national and regional multisectoral consultations spearheaded by the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP)—offered a novel approach to the challenge.
“Justice for All provides a space for dialogue and advancing the human rights agenda for the HIV response. In the process we can work to ensure that those who are recognised as being vulnerable can get justice and equality in Caribbean societies,” Prime Minister Douglas said.
Mr Loures noted that the world had entered a new era of its response to HIV: “We have the knowledge and the tools to combat HIV but we have big pockets of people being left behind.”
Mrs. Simpson-Miller reiterated the Jamaican Government’s commitment to upholding the human rights of all and its participation in the Justice For All initiative.
“Jamaica is working with all sectors, and paying specific attention to the vulnerable and the poor, to lift the masses in the Post 2015 agenda, and to keep the people hopeful,” Prime Minister Simpson-Miller said. She reiterated that people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender should not be afraid to access HIV services. The Prime Minister also revealed that a Draft Bill will go to cabinet on Monday to make the language in the Sexual Offences Act gender neutral.
The meeting also addressed challenges regarding the balance of financial responsibility between Caribbean countries and international partners for sustaining HIV responses. Prime Minister Simpson Miller noted that although Jamaica is unable at this time to allocate more of its budget to HIV, it was actively strategising to ensure the sustainability of its AIDS programme.
Mr Dybul reiterated that the Global Fund remains part of a worldwide partnership to support countries in responding to AIDS, even as countries were required to assume greater country ownership. He revealed that the Global Fund had taken the decision to make US$10million available to Jamaica to support its continued efforts in prevention, treatment and care.
With the advice that “success moves money”, Loures noted that the AIDS response has entered an unprecedented phase of global sharing of experiences and best practices. There are several opportunities for Jamaica and the Caribbean to both learn from and teach the world, he said.
UNAIDS offered to facilitate an exchange of ideas between the African Union and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on using the principles of shared responsibility and global solidarity to propel efforts toward ending AIDS.
Contact
UNAIDS Caribbean | Cedriann Martin | tel. +868 623-7056 ext. 283 / +868 371-7195 | martinc@unaids.org
UNAIDS
UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is an innovative United Nations partnership that leads and inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Learn more at unaids.org and unaidscaribbean.org
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