OFFICIALS from the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Headquarters in Turkeyen, Georgetown, have acknowledged the importance of civil society and local communities in delivering HIV services and information, such as testing, prevention, and treatment, throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on World AIDS Day.
The Deputy Secretary-General of CARICOM, Dr. Armstrong Alexis, stated in his remarks on Friday at the organisation’s headquarters that the significance of this year’s theme, “Let Communities Lead,” lies in its emphasis on the importance of community involvement in improving the lives of AIDS-affected individuals.

“The 2023 observance of World AIDS Day is happening at the critical junction of public health within our region. We have seen our communities, particularly civil society, play an integral role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many lives were saved, thanks to the effort of our national AIDS programmes, which strategically collaborated with community-based organisations and groups to reach the most vulnerable with lifesaving HIV medications during the mandated COVID-19 lockdowns,” Dr. Armstrong explained.

He continued, “From this experience, our region now has several best practices that could be applied to other public health initiatives, but the key to this approach is the central involvement of communities; hence, the theme for this year’s World AIDS Day could not have been more appropriate. Civil society has worked hand in hand with the Ministry of Public Health and the national AIDS programme to ensure that vulnerable populations receive HIV prevention, treatment, and care, and most recently to ensure the continuum of care during the pandemic.”

Dr. Armstrong further added that the mantra of ‘leaving no one behind’ actively described a strategic approach to the region’s HIV response, which is characterised by the unique relationship that is formed between the government and civil society organisations, along with other peers in the field.
“Today we can proudly we can proudly reflect on the progress made because of the successful collaboration and the tremendous work done by our civil society partners,” he added.
Meanwhile, the representative from the Caribbean Regional Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (CRN+), Jason Shepherd, also encouraged the community to play their part in eradicating the stigma that is attached to HIV and AIDS.

According to him, “It is an emotional day to remember all those important people who we have lost and to reflect on the valuable contributions they made along the journey. It is also a day to think about actions, to act, and to talk about the important work that still needs to be done in our communities.”
Finally, according to the Pan America Health Organisation (PAHO), in order to achieve an undetectable viral load and break the chain of transmission, communities must be given the tools they need to create their own plans and reach the people who need them the most with education, HIV self-testing, antiretrovirals as a preventive measure (known as PrEP), and treatment.

According to them, “We are on the home stretch when it comes to ending AIDS as a public health challenge, but we will only achieve this goal if we empower the most affected communities that are being left behind,” Luisa Cabal, Regional Director of UNAIDS for Latin America and the Caribbean, said. “Community leadership is essential in all HIV plans and programmes, which must also have financing and protective regulations for their operation.”

They also added that community-led services, being stigma- and discrimination-free zones, also boost acceptance and retention in care for gay men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers, transgender people, and drug users—populations that are important in the HIV response and among which the greatest number of new infections are recorded.
Finally, PAHO said, “In Latin America and the Caribbean, around 2.5 million people live with HIV. In 2022, about 130,000 people acquired the virus and 33,000 lost their lives from AIDS-related causes.”