THE Jamaica Government is providing more than one billion dollars for the country’s National HIV/AIDS Response Project as it seeks to further decrease infections in high-risks group.

The Government said that the money will be spent during the 2024/2025 fiscal year and that the programme is geared at reducing AIDS-related morbidity by providing effective biomedical and supporting services and reducing new HIV infections among key populations through behavioural and structural interventions.

Information regarding the project is outlined in the 2024/2025 Estimates of Expenditure, which will be considered by the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives.

According to the authorities the targets achieved up to the end of December 2023 include HIV-intervention support programmes to 6,879 men who have sex with men (MSM); 6,592 MSMs provided with HIV testing and test results; and 8,195 female sex workers (FSWs) were reached through HIV-prevention programmes.

In addition, 7,584 FSWs were provided with HIV testing and test results; 302 transgender (TG) persons were reached through HIV-prevention programmes; 249 TG persons were provided with HIV testing and test results; and 99 MSMs were initiated on oral, antiretroviral, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Fifty-four per cent of people living with HIV were engaged on the antiretroviral therapy (ART) programme; it achieved 79 per cent placement on virological suppression, while 91 per cent of people newly diagnosed with HIV were put on the ART intervention.

It is anticipated that for the upcoming financial year the programme will reach 10,044 MSMs; provide 9,040 MSMs with testing and test results; reach 10,829 female sex workers with HIV-prevention programmes; provide 9,746 FSWs with HIV testing and test results; and reach 768 TG persons with HIV-prevention programmes.

— CMC