President of the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF), Herbert Lewis (left) and the Ministry of Health's programme manager for HIV/AIDS, Faith Hamer (centre) are captured in conversation with chairman of the Barbados National AIDS Commission, Dr Carol Jacobs-Haynes during a recent workshop on preparing HIV/AIDS policy. The workshop was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

THE North East Regional Health Authority (NERHA) will later this year implement a raft of measures aimed at stemming the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus.

These measures are being implemented as a result of the rising incidence of the HIV/AIDS virus, particularly in the parish of St Ann. Health officials say that for every 100,000 persons residing in the parish, 207 are infected with the HIV/AIDS virus. St Ann is ranked fourth among parishes with a high number of reported cases.

The new measures to be implemented by the NERHA include:

* testing pregnant women;

* training health professionals and health workers in voluntary pre- and post-test counselling; and

* training home-based care givers.

Regional technical director, Dr Michelle Roofe outlined these new initiatives at a recent workshop on HIV/AIDS and corporate wellness at the Grand Lido Sans Souci Hotel.

In moving to reduce the rate of infection among expectant mothers, Dr Roofe said NERHA would be focusing on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS. According to her, the aim is to meet a target of between 80 and 100 per cent testing for pregnant women by year-end.

And this month, the ministry of health is also expected to introduce a rapid-testing method for HIV in pregnant women.

This service, Dr Roofe said, would eventually be extended to individuals who attend clinics that deal with family planning matters and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Under this initiative, pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS will also have access to a single dose therapy of an anti-retroviral drug, given at the onset of labour, with medication also available for newborns within 72 hours after birth. This will help to reduce the rate of transmission of the virus from mother to baby, Dr Roofe explained.

A specialised treatment site, equipped with clinicians trained to manage persons living with HIV/AIDS, will also be established at the St Ann's Bay Hospital. However, Dr Roofe gave no timetable for the establishment of the site or the training of the clinicians.

The regional technical director said a programme was also being developed to provide improved home-based care, so that both health workers and community members will be trained to offer basic supportive, psychological and nursing care to persons living with HIV/AIDS.

"Despite increased levels of awareness, there is still a stigma associated with HIV/AIDS among some health workers. We have identified several strategies to address this problem," Dr Roofe remarked.

In his presentation to the workshop, Owen Belvett, NERHA regional director, stressed the need for open dialogue about sex and HIV/AIDS.

"We must be able to talk honestly about sexual intercourse with our children. This is the only way that we can prepare them to protect themselves and, at the same time, ensure that our country continues to have a productive workforce," Belvett stressed.

"We no longer say 'AIDS kills' as there is a life to live between the time the disease is contracted and death. There is productive time," he added.

However, he warned that the disease would eventually touch the lives of everyone, as it spreads to infect close friends and relatives.

The workshop was the third in a series of regional meetings to alert business leaders to the threat that HIV/AIDS and chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, pose to the business sector; and to encourage them to develop corporate wellness policies for their organisations.

The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), the Jamaica Employers' Federation (JEF) and the Ministry of Health jointly hosted the workshop.

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