IN an effort to increase awareness as it relates to the HIV health crisis, Guyana continues to lead the way in highlighting this important public health problem and, yesterday, the National Aids Programme Secretariat (NAPS), held a press conference to outline plans for ‘National Week of Testing’ in November. Cognizant of the fact the Guyana has made significant strides in combating HIV/AIDS, Government continues to place more emphasis on the illness and as such, the Ministry of Health is aiming to accomplish a target of 30,000 by the end of the testing week – a 10 percent increase over last year’s target.
Director of the National Aids Programme Secretariat (NAPS), Dr. Shanti Singh, while updating media operatives, said the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT), programme is not only about testing persons for HIV/AIDS but also ensuring that those who are found to be negative remain so.
“That is why there is a pre-test counselling component and a post-test counselling component and so some of the issues we discussed include things like risk reduction, particularly a reduction in a number of partners, correct and consistent condom use, for persons who are HIV negative,” she said.
NAPS is mandated to control the spread of the disease and, according to Dr. Singh, to obtain this the issue of how to reduce the occurrence of new infections is essential. As such, the Health Ministry has reported that there has been a reduction in new infections.
To date, there is a decrease in the prevalence rate with a recorded 2.4 percent in 2005 compared to 1.3 percent in 2009.
This, Dr. Singh credits to the VCT programme which is aimed at encouraging awareness about the pandemic and places much emphasis on eradicating the stigma and discrimination relating to HIV/AIDS.
“Last year when we had a target of 20,000 we had exceeded that and tested close to 29,000 persons, but that was a tremendous amount of work to get tested, but we anticipate that this year would be no different,” Dr. Singh said.
She said the response and commitment to the exercise is not a responsibility of an individual but a societal one where all must be involved and as such, NAPS looks forward to everyone’s participation.
Dr, Singh highlighted that as customary confidentiality, stigma, and quality will be maintained.
For 2009, the Ministry of health recorded approximately 85,000 tested persons through its VCT programme, coupled with the blood bank screening programme and the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMCT) programme, totalled 100,000 tested for that year.
However, out of the demographic survey done by the officials from the Health Ministry, it was discovered that only 25 percent had actually been tested, according to Dr. Singh. An appeal was then made for persons to get tested, since knowing is better.
National VCT Coordinator of NAPS, Deborah Success said this year’s exercise will see the collaboration with DJs since they are oftentimes in society seen as influential persons.
She noted that it is anticipated that the VCT would allow persons to be better educated, sensitised and motivated to utilise the services and testing sites made available throughout the different Administrative Regions countrywide.
There are currently 400 testing sites available and during the ‘National Week of Testing, which will be observed from November 22-26, trained and certified testers/counsellors will be providing voluntary testing.
In addition, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr. Hydar Ally and popular DJ Kester Dean, while lauding the Ministry’s VCT programme, made an appeal to persons to support the effort and to get tested.
The initiative has been observed over the past four years and is a partnership initiative of the Ministry of Health and other Government Ministries, the faith-based community, non governmental organisations, donor agencies and individual interest groups.
While Government has been making significant strides in the fight against HIV/AIDS, emphasis has also been placed on eradicating stigma and discrimination especially in workplaces and has been taking its message across the country.
The VCT programme was introduced in the early 1990s as part of a comprehensive service to all Guyanese and has been a feature of National HIV/AIDS prevention strategy in Guyana and many other countries.
The service promotes and sustains behaviour change, contributes to improve the quality of life in individuals and their families and plays a pivotal role in reducing stigma.
VCT has been significantly proven as an appropriate and effective measure for any preventative intervention in HIV/AIDS programme in a number of countries. (GINA)