This post was originally published on this site.
By CARICOM Secretariat
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – New HIV infections remain unacceptably high in the Caribbean, with approximately 15,000 new cases each year: one in four among young people aged 15–24. This was a key message delivered by Dr Frank Anthony, minister of health, Guyana, chair of the PANCAP executive board and chair of the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD)—Health, during his remarks at the opening ceremony of the Tenth Meeting of National AIDS Programme Managers and Key Partners.
The meeting, convened 18 March, in Trinidad and Tobago in hybrid format, brought together regional stakeholders to review progress and chart strategies for advancing the Caribbean’s HIV response.
Dr Anthony underscored the urgent need to accelerate HIV prevention and expand access to innovation. He pointed to promising advances such as long-acting injectable medicines, including lenacapavir, which could provide twice-yearly protection at affordable costs, and stressed that equitable access to these technologies is essential if the Caribbean is to change the trajectory of the epidemic.
Addressing the financing challenges, the minister warned of declining international support and the risks this poses to prevention programmes. He urged stronger regional cooperation to negotiate better access to medicines, sustain funding, and ensure that no Caribbean nation is left behind.
“The global HIV response is entering a difficult moment. Funding pressures are growing,” stated the COHSOD Chair, “some international support is declining. Prevention programmes are often the first to feel the impact. In fact, UNAIDS warns that if prevention services decline significantly, the world could see nearly four million additional HIV infections over the next five years. We must therefore ensure that adequate funding is available to sustain the progress that has been made.”
Dr Anthony called on stakeholders to embrace innovation, strengthen prevention, and place people, especially the most vulnerable, at the centre of the response. He affirmed that the Caribbean now has the science and tools to end AIDS, and that history will judge the region not by its meetings or reports, but by whether it finishes the work.
Highlighting specific examples of regional progress in the HIV response, Dr Anthony cited UNAIDS data showing that AIDS-related deaths in the Caribbean have declined by more than 60 percent since 2010, the steepest reduction of any region globally. He emphasised that this achievement reflects sustained investment in treatment and collective commitment to dignity and care.
The COHSOD chair affirmed, “This progress did not happen by accident. It happened because governments invested in treatment. It happened because of our collective work to provide dignity and care…it shows us something important: that when the Caribbean commits to a challenge, it can deliver results.”
Dr Anthony also paid tribute to the doctors, nurses, programme managers, and public health professionals who have dedicated decades to confronting HIV and AIDS across the Caribbean. He noted that their efforts have transformed lives and built resilient health systems that continue to save thousands of families.
“Many of you have been on the frontlines of this fight for decades. You stood with patients when treatments were scarce. You challenged stigma when silence surrounded this disease. You built the programmes and health systems that today save lives across the Caribbean. Because of your work, thousands of Caribbean families today live with hope. And for that, we owe you our deepest gratitude,” stated Dr Anthony.
The post CARICOM COHSOD chair calls for Innovation, Equity and Financing to Sustain Caribbean HIV Response appeared first on Caribbean News Global.
