THE Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) must sustain the Caribbean’s response to HIV and AIDS if the region is to meet UNAIDS’ target of zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS–related deaths by 2015.
This was the view of Dr Hubert A. Minnis, Minister of Health of The Bahamas. He was at the time addressing the 17th Meeting of the Executive Board of PANCAP, which was held in The Bahamas on Thursday.
He said that given PANCAP’s critical role in advancing the Caribbean’s HIV and AIDS’ agenda, the issue of financial sustainability of the PANCAP Coordinating Unit (PCU) is critical.
“Sustaining institutional capacity cannot be overemphasised. The disparate nature of the partnership in terms of its geography and programme foci necessitates the existence of a general mechanism to bring together the various ‘strands’ into a cohesive whole for the effective and efficient planning, implementation and evaluation of HIV programming in the Caribbean,” Dr. Minnis stated.
He urged the Executive Board to take into consideration the various issues related to the continued viability and sustainability of the PCU, and that due diligence be given to the recommendations proposed for the continued functioning of the unit.
Dr. Minnis reiterated his government’s unequivocal commitment to the partnership, and noted that PANCAP’s progress over the last ten years has been remarkable. “The solidarity that exists among its many and different partners, both at the state and non-state levels; the creative mobilization of its energies to confront the epidemic; and its many accomplishments cannot be denied,” he said.
Ms. Myrna Bernard, Officer-in-Charge, Directorate of Human and Social Development, CARICOM Secretariat, noted that the timing of the meeting could be viewed as the 10th anniversary celebration of the 2001 Nassau Declaration – ‘The health of the region is the wealth of the region’ – which established PANCAP.
She advised the Executive Board that while there is much to celebrate, given PANCAP’s achievements over the last ten years, there is need to be mindful of the challenges that the current global environment presents to PANCAP’s existence.
“PANCAP has to be aware of the opportunities that this environment presents and on which our survival depends; on how well we evaluate our mechanisms to ensure optimal functioning and sustainability of our institutions,” Ms. Bernard said.
She added that PANCAP’s success therefore depends on its capability to scan its environments, both internal and external, and make the best of its collaboration, working as partners and strengthening the networks to respond to global changes.    
“PANCAP has demonstrated, thus far, that the Caribbean possesses the wherewithal to win the fight against the HIV and AIDS epidemic. It is in this spirit that the challenge of the financial sustainability of the PCU must be confronted.”
Ms. Bernard said the PCU, as the coordinating mechanism of the partnership, must survive. “It will survive based on the application of the creative imagination of this Executive Board and the wider range of stakeholders. We must be confident that, in the midst of uncertainty and change, we have the capacity to continue to meet and surmount any challenges.” (CARICOM Secretariat)