The COVID-19 impact on the HIV epidemic!

And in 2020, the COVID-19 Pandemic has also had a toll on the H.I.V. situation in Belize. From exacerbating economic conditions of persons living with H.I.V. to compounding the access to treatment and support services, it has been particularly tough for those living with H.I.V. and those affected by the virus. Executive Director Enrique Romero tell us that they have had to adapt to the way they respond and support partner agencies to reach those living with H.I.V. He says that while there are challenges as services are disrupted, they have found some opportunities to improve the work and response to H.I.V.:

Enrique Romero, Executive Director, National AIDS Commission

Enrique Romero

“They are already at a disadvantage and so when you couple one pandemic with another pandemic it just double compounds difficulties and challenges. Some of them were not receiving food packages, so again what we did as a commission we liaise directly with the Ministry of Human Development, with the senior officials and we provided them with a list of persons who are affected by HIV and with that collaboration many of them were able to get on board and receive food packages through the Ministry of Human Development’s food pantry program then. Yes, COVID has disrupted HIV services in Belize but it has also allowed us a national response to be able to adapt to certain changes; to do things a little differently. Our Civil Society partners have been able to adapt and use different technological modalities to be able to reach persons who we would have not been able to reach on a normal basis. For example, some civil societies, peer navigators, peer educators, social workers who are a part of the national response comment to us that they have been reaching people through  whatsapp, group chats; ZOOM; Teams; other modalities where it  would have been more difficult to reach the persons in person than these modalities. So, we have adapted and tried to look at the optimistic side of the pandemic. But definitely the services were disrupted but like I said through the collaboration with civil society we have been able find ways to reach key and vulnerable populations. And when I talk about key and vulnerable populations, I make reference to sex workers, young people, women, men who have sex with men and transgender persons. These are persons who are already at risk and COVID-19 puts them at an even higher risk.”