AIDS commission maps out strategy
The problem of HIV and AIDS is never far from the consciousness of anyone involved in the field of health. But as the epidemic grows, particularly in the developing world, it is becoming clear that the deadly disease transcends the world of medicine. Today Belizeans from a variety of disciplines got together to map out a strategy for the future.
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
The two-day action plan workshop brought together personnel from health, education and human development along with their NGO counterparts to implement the National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan 2000-2003.
National AIDS Commission co-ordinator Ruth Gloria, says at the end of the event specific activities, responsibilities and financial resources will be made clear.
Ruth Gloria, Co-ordinator, Nat’l AIDS Commission
“One of the critical areas is information and services. And by services there are two components, what we call the social services and support, like counselling. Once somebody knows they’re HIV positive, they need to be counsel. The care outside of the hospital as well as health care, provision of testing so that you know whether you have HIV, monitoring, and prevention of opportunistic infections. And then again the advocating role of the commission is to ensure that we get access to, hopefully, antiviral drugs in the future.”
Each sector is responsible to mobilise its own resources in order to fight the deadly epidemic AIDS. The Ministry of Health is already doing its part.
Ruth Gloria
“The mother to child prevention project, is to prevent the transmission of HIV from the mother to the child, and that is a very important that is now being implemented, the Bahamas project. That is on its way and is very important. Now the Ministry of Education is pushing to develop a programme for education within the curriculum, including HIV within the curriculum, it’s called the SHAPES Programme, but that includes health education and physical. But as a component of that, they’ll be specifically addressing AIDS within schools. They also need to target out of school children, which other agencies such as BFLA and HECOPAB play a critical role.”
According to chairperson of the National AIDS Commission, Dolores Balderamos Garcia, if we’re to win the war on AIDS, all three ministries must play a critical role.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Chairperson, N.A.C.
“Brings home to us just how important it is for the government ministries to work with our NGO and civil society partners. I don’t just want to repeat it like a little hackneyed phrase that HIV/AIDS is not just health issue. I really believe that if we are going to have the education and the public awareness and the behavioral change that is necessary, all parties have to work together. So we have to work with the NGO, partners, for example the Red Cross, Alliance Against AIDS, the Belize Family Life Association, but we really have to make sure that the private sector gets involved.”
Ann-Marie Williams for News 5.
