The Ministry of Health has set up free HIV/AIDS testing sites in at least five communities in the Kingston Metropolitan Area and St Thomas under its National HIV/STI Programme in order to increase the number of Jamaicans who voluntarily take HIV tests.

Andrea Campbell, south-east regional behaviour change communication coordinator for the programme, told Sunday Observer that so far, approximately 1,600 persons have been tested under the programme, which is also aimed at allowing persons who test positive to seek treatment without the fear of discrimination.

Since the beginning of December last year, the ministry has been offering free testing once a week to residents in the five communities, that include Swallowfield, Drewsland and McDonald Lane in Kingston; Old Harbour Bay, St Catherine; and Morant Bay, Thomas.

“We spend six months in the community, but now we are looking at extending it to one year for it to be really effective,” Campbell said, adding that the ministry wants to test at least 200,000 persons annually.

Additionally, Campbell said that the programme will soon expand to involve the training of influential persons in the community and the hosting of parent workshops.

“We want to take a social intervention approach and not just look at HIV, so we try to work with non-governmental organisations in the communities,” Campbell said.

The teams, which consist of between seven and 16 persons in the respective parishes, set up tents in the communities where pre- and post-test counselling are done. If a resident tests positive he/she is referred to the Comprehensive Health Clinic for treatment and care.

“We also refer them to support groups such as Jamaica AIDS Support (JAS) and Jamaica Network of Seropositives (JN+),” Campbell said.

But even though offering free testing in some of these volatile communities can be risky at times, Campbell said the teams conducting the testing have formed a relationship with the residents, who notify them when it is unsafe to venture into the communities.

Meantime, Campbell said the ministry hopes to expand the programme to other communities across the island. However, they have not definitively identified any communities as yet.

“We are thinking about Grants Pen and definitely Duhaney Park, as well as Rose Town,” she said.

Data from the Ministry of Health indicated that 451 persons with AIDS (256 males and 195 females) were reported between January and June 2006, compared to 473 persons between January and June 2005. That is, on average, three new cases of AIDS diagnosed each day between January and June 2006. The total number of reported AIDS cases in Jamaica between January 1982 and June last year is 11,004. An estimated 25,000 persons are living with the HIV virus and of this number, 15,000 persons are said not to be aware of their HIV positive status.

Last week, the ministry inched closer to its target when it offered free testing at Mandela Park in Half-Way-Tree, Kingston on Valentine’s Day and on Friday at St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston as part of the activities to mark Safer Sex Week.

Over 800 persons were tested at Mandela Park, while 757 persons were tested at St William Grant Park. But overall, Campbell said, 2,000 persons were tested in Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine and St Thomas during Safer Sex Week.

“Persons wanting to be tested came out [to St William Grant Park] even before we finished setting up. When we were packing up, persons were still coming and we had to turn them away,” Campbell said.

“The whole idea is to normalise testing so that persons can know their status. At first, they might be hesitant, but we explain that it is good to know your status so that you can change your behaviour.”