Life
CARICOM committed to fighting HIV/AIDS – aims to become first region in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission
The Caribbean has joined the rest of the global community in observing World AIDS Day by issuing a reminder to the region of the commitment to work towards creating the conditions for equitable access by every citizen in the region to adequate health care.
In his message to mark the day, Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Irwin Laroque hailed the work of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) for the strides made in confronting the epidemic.
“While I look forward to being part of history in the making, with respect to the Caribbean being the first region in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015, I am very conscious that the promise of an AIDS-free generation, characterised by zero new HIV infection, zero discrimination, zero AIDS-related death, though a real possibility, is yet some distance off, “ Laroque said.
He noted that during CARICOM’s 40th year of existence, the regional body has renewed and heightened its focus on its reason for being. -(CMC)