KINGSTON, Jamaica — Caribbean Regional Director of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Dr Kevin Harvey says the level of interest shown in World AIDS Day 2016 (WAD2016) activities demonstrates that Jamaicans understand what is required at an individual level to end HIV/AIDS.

“From a policy and resource perspective, we now have to provide the supporting environment and services to ensure that we can plug the gaps that can possibly prevent us from meeting our testing and treatment goals. We have the systems but we need more resources as a country to achieve our goals. This is why the AHF is committed to expanding its outreach in Jamaica,” he explained.

 Starting with World AIDS Day 2016, which is celebrated on December 1, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation is putting initiatives in place to increase its advocacy and support for persons infected and affected by HIV in Jamaica. The Foundation supported a health fair and free concert in Down Town, Kingston as well as a march from Cross Roads to Down Town as part of the activities to observe WAD2016. This was done in partnership with the National Family Planning Board and ASHE to increase awareness about HIV/AIDS and improve testing, treatment and care among the population.  

Recently the AHF disclosed that Jamaica needs to increase the number of people known to be infected with HIV and AIDS who are receiving antiretroviral medication from approximately 9,000 to just over 30,000 — more than triple the current number — in order to meet the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines of “Test and Treat”.

The new WHO guidelines require that at least 90 per cent of the population should know their HIV status, 90 per cent of those known to be infected should be on antiretroviral medication and 90 per cent of those on medication should be virally suppressed.

Jamaica has a significant way to go before achieving these goals. For example, 30 per cent of people living with HIV in Jamaica still do not know they are positive, only a third of those who are positive are on treatment and 70 per cent of those on treatment are still not virally suppressed and can therefore continue to spread the disease.