THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) yesterday held its Health and Wellness exhibition at GDF Headquarters front lawns, Base Camp Ayanganna, in which many agencies in the health sector both private and public responded and set up booths to educate and promote healthy lifestyles.Chief of Staff (COS) Brigadier Mark Phillips said that they are celebrating their 50th anniversary and they have a series of activities to observe the event.

He added that the theme of the health fair signifies the importance of educating all their officers, ranks and employees in gender-based violence, stigma and discrimination and the campaign must not be limited to the promotion of healthy lifestyles among all ranks.

Therefore, our medical policy signifies and facilitates access to good medical care and through their health initiative they will continue to utilize efforts to promote healthy lifestyles in order to improve health in the GDF and by extension the family unit and the communities in which their soldiers reside, Phillips said.

The COS said, “While in the military we are convinced that there are strong linkages between public health and national security and we devote some of our time to analyse the way public health affects our national security interest in Guyana however, public health practices coupled with stigma and discrimination will hinder our operations and will affect evaluation of prevention and treatment programmes of both soldiers and the civilian population of the Force and wider society.”

Phillips added that the GDF will work towards ensuring that the public health and national security sector benefit all of us not only against communicable diseases, but also gender-based violence and stigma and discrimination in this society.

He said over the years they have had an increase in budgetary allocations to the GDF from central government to deal with health matters that pertain to our soldiers. He also mentioned the significant contribution to our health facility and health initiative in the GDF from the US Southern Command through its Security Cooperation Office in Guyana,and thanked Commander Robert Novotny and staff for their continued support.

Phillips also thanked the private and public sector agencies for their support in the promotion of healthier lifestyles not only in the GDF, but the community and their locations in the hinterland and many times the GDF primary source of health intervention are people that live in those communities.

He noted that the GDF will however continue to develop medical facilities to promote good health practices among ranks.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Leslie Cadogan in the feature address said there has been an overall reduction in the prevalence of HIV/Aids locally, as he gave statistics yesterday.

He pointed out that in HIV/AIDS, antiretroviral treatment is accessible free of cost countrywide and the reports have been good so far. Cadogan added that they will continue their education awareness in an effort to prevent stigma and discrimination through their many health initiatives and services offered at their health facilities.

Cadogan said they have suitably trained staff in the health sector as they talked of their efforts to fight HIV/Aids in Guyana.
Also making remarks was Robert Novotny of the Security Cooperation Office attached to the US Embassy, Georgetown, Guyana and Programme Manager of the GDF HIV/AIDS Programme, Beverley Gomes-Lovell.

The event was well attended by hundreds of schoolchildren, soldiers and others, who took the time to visit every booth and made use of the services offered yesterday.

International artistes, Natural Black, Taurus Riley and Tanya Stephens along with local artiste, Tameka Marshal was present and was surrounded by schoolchildren and all in attendance as they sought autographs and took pictures of themselves and the artistes.