Minister appeals to persons with HIV/AIDS to get anti-retroviral drugs
THE health minister has appealed to Jamaicans living with the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) to take advantage of the anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, which the government readily provides for all persons afflicted with the disease.
“Some people are afraid to go for it. I am saying to you if you are out there living with AIDS, don’t stay at home and die, the drug is available to you,” Health Minister Horace Dalley said last week.
He suggested that persons who might be hesitant in going for treatment could go to the Jamaica AIDS Support and find someone who would direct them to a clinic, or visit the Ministry of Health, where people are available to speak to them confidentially.
“Every single Jamaican who is infected with HIV/AIDS must have access to the drug,” said Dalley, while speaking in the House of Representatives.
ARVs have been available locally for persons living with AIDS since 2004, and the minister said that last year the National Health Fund (NHF) provided administrative support to the National HIV/AIDS Programme to deliver these benefits to HIV patients.
Up to May of this year, 2,180 persons were enrolled in the ARV treatment programme, surpassing the ministry’s target of 2,000 people.
Meanwhile, Dalley said his ministry continues to be the lead agency in the fight against the disease, and during the year completed a school policy on HIV/AIDS and a national policy for the workforce, both of which were being disseminated to various target groups.
“We continue to work on reducing stigma and discrimination and to promote the use of condoms, especially among the risk groups,” the health minister said, adding that voluntary counselling and testing were also available.
He said the National HIV/STI Programme had met the performance criteria for phase one of the Global Fund Project.
“As a result, implementation of phase two has been approved to continue the provision of ARVs. Phase two will also see support to laboratories for testing and prevention and an additional US$15.5 million will be spent on phase two,” he added.
