US spending more on HIV treatment in the Caribbean

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The United States is providing an additional US$100 million to Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries to combat the deadly HIV virus over the next five years.

Charge d'Affaires at the US Embassy here, Karen Williams and Caricom Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite yesterday signed the agreement to extend the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). .


"On this day Caricom will sign a Partnership Framework agreement with the United States to chart a path for sustained support in the fight against this devastating disease."

"This new collaboration, worth up to US$100 million over five years, is made possible by the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)," according to a statement issued by the Embassy.

It said the funds will be available as of June this year and will focus on programmatic cooperation in prevention, laboratory strengthening, strategic information, capacity building, and sustainability.

"As the region with the second highest rate of HIV/AIDS prevalence in the world, second only to Sub-Saharan Africa, the United States recognises that a regionally targeted programme for the Caribbean could directly meet critical public health needs and support the outstanding work already ongoing in the region to combat this disease.

"The AIDS epidemic continues to be a leading cause of death among Caribbean adults age 25-44 years of age and has left nearly a quarter of a million Caribbean children orphaned," the Embassy said.

It said similar signing have taken place in Suriname, Barbados and the Organisation of Easter Caribbean States (OECS), with Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Bahamas and Jamaica joining soon.

PEPFAR was launched in 2003 to reduce the incidence and limit the spread of HIV/AIDS while assisting persons living with the disease.

Washington said that the programme has so far treated more than two million infected persons as well as providing care for over 10 million. It has also prevented an estimated seven million new infections.