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| ??Minister of Health, Donville Inniss (second from right), in conversation with USAID’s Health and HIV/AIDS Officer, Kendra Phillips (third from right, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, NULL, NULL, 0); Ren?? Brathwaite; Senior HIV/AIDS Technical Specialist, Angela Davis and Health Officer, Kent Benson. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Ronald Fitt, looks on. (C. Pitt/BGIS |
The Barbados Government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have been discussing ways to collaborate to reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS here, as well as remove the stigma associated with the disease. These matters were high on the agenda during a recent meeting Health Minister, Donville Inniss, had with representatives of USAID.
Members of the USAID HIV/AIDS Team – Senior HIV/AIDS Technical Specialist Angela Davis; Health and HIV/AIDS Officer, Kendra Phillips, and Health Officer, Kent Benson, spoke to various HIV/AIDS initiatives being conducted by their organisation and explained ways in which Government could access these services.
These initiatives include the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR II, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, ‘, NULL, NULL, 0); Health System Strengthening in Barbados and the OECS; Anti-Stigma and Discrimination, and Advocacy and Leadership Development for persons living with HIV/AIDS; and?? Organisational Strengthening Support to the Caribbean Community/ Pan Caribbean Partnership Against AIDS.
Noting that funding for HIV and AIDS was dwindling, Minister Inniss pointed out that Government was now faced with the challenge of how to roll out additional programmes to address these issues in the health sector and make them sustainable.?? He gave the assurance that his Ministry would explore the opportunities being offered by USAID.
Issues of Monitoring and Evaluation, mobile testing, and dealing with transgender persons were also discussed.