The National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) yesterday hosted its annual appreciation exercise for those institutions and
individuals who have performed exceptionally well in the fight to eradicate HIV/AIDS, its sensitisation and the eradication of
discrimination as well other health issues. During the brief ceremony hosted at the Secretariat’s Hadfield Street, Georgetown headquarters, the Ministry of Home
Affairs was awarded with a plaque for being the most outstanding non-health Governmental Ministry working to mitigate the spread of
HIV/AIDS in Guyana. This Ministry was commended for its consistent efforts in educating its workers, prisoners and prison officials,
its efforts to completely eliminate discrimination, as well as its advocacy of safe sex practices within the prisons.
National Milling Company (NAMILCO) was judged the most outstanding private sector support to the NAPS food bank. This
company was commended for its work in engaging young people in meaningful exercises, its commitment to community work, and its
consistent contribution of food hampers to the Ministry of Health for distribution to persons living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Among the four staff members of NAPS who were presented with awards, Dr. Abdel Abdalla was adjudged by colleagues as the
most outstanding worker in the Secretariat. He was commended for his dedication to his work in the hinterland and other outlying
areas of the country.
Leona Da Costa was recognised for her exceptional work in the area of Tuberculosis/HIV co-infection on the TB Control programme.
Shameeza Mangal was adjudged the outstanding worker of the year in the Blood Bank, while Edward Hackett copped the award for most
outstanding worker in the area of adolescent health.
A group of specially invited adolescents presented Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, with a special award for his visionary
and outstanding leadership since he took up the mantle as Minister of Health in 2001. He was commended for his continued and
persistent fight in the health sector, particularly in his fight to eradicate HIV/AIDS in Guyana.
Dr. Shanti Singh, Head of NAPS, was surprised with an award for her outstanding work in the health sector and most especially for the
drive and dedication she has consistently displayed in the local HIV/AIDS response.
In brief remarks Dr. Singh said that in 2010, the prevention of HIV/AIDS progressed significantly with the development of the
prevention principles standards and guidelines. She noted that a continued component of the Secretariat was ensuring that all
Guyanese know their HIV status, adding that at the end of September 2010, more than 80,000 tests were conducted through the voluntary
counselling and testing programme. This is in addition to the more than 30,000 that were tested during the recently concluded
National Week of Testing.
Dr. Singh noted that her agency continued to ensure in 2010 that all measures were in place to avert infections in newborn babies.
She asserted that at the end of September 2010, the treatment programme recorded a total of 4,236 active patients, of which 70.2% are
on anti-retroviral therapy; and since the inception of the food bank in 2007, a total of 11,580 hampers were distributed to 3,792
patients.
The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with NAPS, during 2010 continued to promote its mandate of zero infection rate, HIV/AIDS
related deaths and discrimination.