HIV prevalence rate shows encouraging decrease
– Ramsammy
THE prevalence rate of HIV in Guyana is now down to an encouraging 0.6 per cent, as compared to the United Nations estimated positive cases of 1.3 per cent in 2010. This was disclosed by Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy who deemed the  National Week of Testing a success, so far.
Speaking at a media briefing in the National Aids Programme Secretariat (NAPS) Secretariat, on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, he said a total of 41,578  tests were conducted throughout the regions, up to now, but the ministry’s target has not yet been achieved.
He added that figure is a new record as opposed to years before , including last year, when 37,986 persons were tested in all the regions in Guyana.
Ramsammy said, without the final count, what is significant is that the breakdown is about 52 per cent female and 48 per cent male.
The minister pointed to the fact that, over the years, while persons living in the various regions have been quite responsive, Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) has always shown a low rate in the number of persons making themselves available for testing.
However, he said, for 2011, there has been a vast improvement in Region 5 in this regard and it has snatched a third position out of the 10 regions for having the most tested persons.
While this is so, Ramsammy said that Region 1 (Barima/Waini) still displays an unimpressive figure. In light of this, he has mandated NAPS to extend its services for  another week in that region, once more, completing in either November or December,  towards the overall figure for this year’s target.
Ramsammy has appealed to people in the various regions to come out and give their support, by ensuring they make the right decision and get tested, since it has proven to be one of the eliminating factors of HIV worldwide.
While he is satisfied with the results achieved, so far, he is looking forward to better and more satisfactory results by the end of 2011.
“Indeed, in using the public health experience shows that these are not just gradual reductions. These are, in fact, quite dramatic reductions. What is revealed is that our strategy has worked,” Ramsammy declared.
Even though this is an expensive activity, the challenge is worth undertaking, he attested.
“The non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have contributed significantly, especially the Guyana Business Coalition and we have done a marvellous job and will continue to carry out testing,” Ramsammy assured.

He said the authorities have made a commitment to fight this disease and will continue to work in this direction.
NWT was officially started in November 2006 by the Health Ministry, with the involvement of other stakeholders and, this year, it continued with this important public health drive making HIV testing more readily accessible to all sections of the Guyanese society.