Newsboyphil Reporting from Kingston, Jamaica

Figures from the Ministry of Health in Kingston indicate that HIV/Aids is the second leading cause of death among persons aged 30-34 in Jamaica. Indeed every week, 13 persons in Jamaica die from HIV/Aids. In 2002, HIV/Aids was the leading cause of death of children aged one to four. These figures are an indication of a brewing health crisis on the island of Jamaica. There is cause for alarm and the Government of Jamaica need to develop a more comprehensive plan to deal with the rising deaths which are projected to increase as the infection rate spreads across all parishes.

The Minister of Health, John Junor has shown that he is willing to confront the issue of Aids, in 2005 the Government developed a National Policy for Aids management in school and the National HIV/AIDS Workplace policy document. These are steps in the right direction. But, its the question of Funding which is now on most health officials minds.

The Global Fund have pledged US$23 million to Jamaica over the next five years and is expected to disburse US$3.9 million this year, and an additional US$3.5 million in 2006. Yet the Minister of health Junor said the funding pledge might be rescinded as local economic conditions have improved in comparison to other countries in Jamaica's catagory.

"Dr Yitades Gebre, chief medical officer and executive director of the National AIDS Prevention and Control Project, revealed that a reclassification of countries impacted by Aids means Jamaica will get less funding.The World Health Organisation, a United Nations agency, will be bumping up Jamaica from a low-income to a middle-income country which automatically disqualifies the island for grant assistance". Jamaica Observer

The grant is usually used to educate the public, provide treatment and fund preventive measures to contain the spread of the disease.

On October 25, Jamaica will be among an elite group of countries to launch a campaign aimed at uniting the world in eliminating HIV and AIDS among children. A project of the United Nations Children's Fund, the five-year campaign, is designed to sensitise the global community about the pandemic and how it affects children and to seek political support aimed at the problem.The theme for the campaign is: 'Unite for Children, Unite for AIDS'.

The first area is preventing mother to child transmission by providing antiretroviral drugs to HIV positive mothers, making testing more widely available, encouraging voluntary testing and providing counselling for children and mothers.Currently through government programmes the cost for anti-retroviral drugs is $1,000 monthl. This is for those who can prove that they cannot afford the drugs are exempt from the charges. Nearly 1,600 persons are currently involed in the programme.
Globally, over 15 million children have been made orphans by HIV/AIDS, while some 2 million others are HIV positive and more than 500,000 children died last year of AIDS-related causes.

Global Aids events

International Conference for People Living with HIV/AIDS  
9 – 13 October, 2005
Lima, Peru

The XVI International AIDS Conference                                                                                              Toronto, Canada during the week of 13 - 18 August, 2006.
http://www.aids2006.org/