Press Release – Page 12

PANCAP Consultation Concludes with Priority Issues for Regional Advocacy including access to Health Care by all, Efficiency in Supply Chain Management and Inclusion of all Genders

The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), the mechanism that provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic, concluded the Consultation to formulate a Regional Advocacy Strategy and Five-Year Implementation Plan, held in Port-of-Spain, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on October 25 – 26, with strategic priority areas for advocacy. These were developed by a wide cross-section of participants from the region including civil society organisations and National AIDS Programme Managers. The consultation identified core issues for advocacy including increased access to health care by People Living with HIV (PLHIV) without fear of stigma and discrimination, improving efficiency in the supply chain management through adequate forecasting and engaging with policymakers on developing anti-discrimination legislation.

Participants engaged in highly interactive discussions using the thematic areas of systems and policy reform, access to justice and redress, community, social and health services and financing and sustainability.

The consultation also noted the need to advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities to access education, prevention and treatment as well as the need for migrants to access health care services regardless of their status.

The consultation noted that access to health care by all, including PLHIV was linked directly to the Region’s ability to achieve the 90-90-90 targets. Recommendations were made to advocate for this issue at all levels including high-level advocacy with policy-makers.

The pivotal role of forecasting in supply chain management was highlighted as participants expressed concern for the need for greater efficiency through improved forecasting and joint regional negotiation for the procurement of ARVs and laboratory supplies

Participants also propagated for gender mainstreaming and addressing the rights and health requirements of transgender and other groups not usually included in dialogue.

The outcomes of the Consultation which will be reflected in the Regional Advocacy Strategy and Five-Year Implementation Plan will be disseminated to the public via the PANCAP website (www.PANCAP.org).

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Editor’s Notes:

Participants included NAPs from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Commonwealth of Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, selected key population leaders from the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities (CariFLAGS), Caribbean Sex Work Coalition (CSWC) and the Caribbean Network of People Living with HIV (CRN+), Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE), Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), Coalition Advocating for Inclusion of Sexual Orientation (CAISO); Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL), J-Flag/Equality for All, The University of the West Indies Rights Advocacy Project (U-RAP), United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM), the DeMarco Foundation, CARICOM Youth Ambassadors Programme (CYAP) and key population youth, faith leaders, parliamentarians, and private sector, Caribbean Med Labs Foundation (CMLF), Live Up: The Caribbean Media Alliance, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), International Organization for Migration (IOM), Johns Hopkins Knowledge for Health Project, Linkages, Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief-United States Agency for International Development (PEPFAR-USAID), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

What is PANCAP?

PANCAP is a Caribbean regional partnership of governments, regional civil society organisations, regional institutions and organisations, bilateral and multilateral agencies and contributing donor partners which was established on 14 February 2001. PANCAP provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic, coordinates the response through the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS to maximise efficient use of resources and increase impact, mobilises resources and build capacity of partners.

Contact:
Timothy Austin
Communications Specialist
PANCAP Coordinating Unit
CARICOM Secretariat
Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana
Email: taustin.consultant@caricom.org
Tel: (592) 222-0001-75, Ext. 3409 | Visit www.PANCAP.org

Hon. Terrence Deyalsingh, Minister of Health, Trinidad and Tobago receives Champions for Change Award from PANCAP

Honourable Terrence Deyalsingh, Minister of Health, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was presented with his PANCAP Champions for Change Award by Mr Dereck Springer, Director of PANCAP, Monday October 23 at the Ministry of Health in Port-of-Spain. Minister Deyalsingh was unable to attend the Champions for Change IV – Relaunch held on September 12 – 13 in Georgetown Guyana, due to prior commitments.

Minister Deyalsingh was recognised for leadership as a member of parliament advocating for the end of AIDS.

Profile

Honourable Terrence Deyalsingh is the Minister of Health and the Member of Parliament for St. Joseph, in the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. Before his stint in politics, the Hon. Terrence Deyalsingh started his career as a lecturer in the Institute of Training and Development (INTAD). From 2003-2006 he was a member of the Cabinet -appointed Committee on Labour Market Reform and chaired the sub-committee on Labour Market Information, all of which derived from his passion for business management. Subsequently, Minister Deyalsingh entered the realm of politics, where he served as a Temporary Opposition Senator during the 10th Republican Parliament. He was appointed a Senator on November 2, 2010 and served until October 14, 2013, when he accepted the nomination to contest the St. Joseph constituency. During this tenure in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, he has served on the Standing Orders Committee of the Senate, as well as on the Finance Committee.

Read more about the Champions for Change IV – Relaunch here.

PANCAP hosts Consultation to formulate Regional Advocacy Strategy

Tuesday, October 17, 2017 (PANCAP Coordinating Unit, CARICOM Secretariat): The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), the mechanism that provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic, will host a Consultation to formulate a Regional Advocacy Strategy and Five-Year Implementation Plan. The consultation, which is a collaboration between PANCAP and the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities-Coalition el Centro Orientación e investigación Integral (CVC-COIN), will be held on 25-26 October 2017 in Port-of-Spain, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

The expected outcome of the Consultation is the establishment of a PANCAP Regional Advocacy Strategy and Five-Year Plan that will guide all stakeholders in their efforts to advocate at all levels for revisions to laws and policies that remove barriers to key populations accessing HIV prevention and treatment.

According to Director of PANCAP, Dereck Springer, the consultation is pivotal to the Region’s response to HIV since recent advocacy efforts have been limited in their reach, effectiveness and strategic focus. “As the regional HIV response has evolved, PANCAP has been challenged to shift the focus of its technical expertise and financial resources to provide leadership, strategic guidance and coordination for law and policy reform efforts,” stated the Director. “Addressing these new demands alongside resource reductions and competing priorities of a diverse range of government, donor and civil society partners has been a challenge for PANCAP”.

He further explained that there has been limited ability to dedicate the long-term, careful attention necessary to follow up work on key areas such as country adoption of the PANCAP Model Anti-Discrimination Legislation, endorsement of the Justice For All Declaration and national-level implementation of Justice For All plans. The consultation will establish a framework that will attempt to correct this and aid National AIDS Programme Managers (NAPs) and Civil Society Organisations to streamline efforts to advocate for law and policy reform, access to justice and redress, community and health services and financing and sustainability that will assist in creating an enabling environment for vulnerable groups to access HIV prevention and treatment without the fear of stigma and discrimination.

The consultation will also address the absence of key populations’ voices at the highest levels of regional advocacy efforts. The discussion will seek to build on PANCAP’s work with Key Populations and their network to support capacity building, primarily in terms of organizational development and to ensure their access to CARICOM organs including the Chief Medical Officers Caucus, Council for Human and Social Development and where applicable the Heads of Government Conference.

Participants will include NAPs from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Commonwealth of Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, selected key population leaders from the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities (CariFLAGS), Caribbean Sex Work Coalition (CSWC) and the Caribbean Network of People Living with HIV (CRN+), Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE), Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), Coalition Advocating for Inclusion of Sexual Orientation (CAISO); Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL), J-Flag/Equality for All, The University of the West Indies Rights Advocacy Project (U-RAP), United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM), the DeMarco Foundation, CARICOM Youth Ambassadors Programme (CYAP) and key population youth, faith leaders, parliamentarians, and private sector, Caribbean Med Labs Foundation (CMLF), Live Up: The Caribbean Media Alliance, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), International Organization for Migration (IOM), Johns Hopkins Knowledge for Health Project, Linkages, Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief-United States Agency for International Development (PEPFAR-USAID), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

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PANCAP convenes 27th Meeting of the Executive Board under the Chairmanship of Hon. Robert Luke Browne, Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment, St Vincent and the Grenadines

Wednesday, October 11 2017 (PANCAP Coordinating Unit, CARICOM Secretariat): The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), the mechanism that provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic, convened the 27th Meeting of the Executive Board today at the Beachcombers Hotel, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The meeting assessed the Partnership’s progress towards the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Syphilis (EMTCT) and the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets – 90 percent of people living with HIV know they have the virus, 90 percent of those who know they are infected are receiving sustainable antiretroviral treatment and 90 percent of those people on treatment have sustainable suppression of their virus by 2020.

The meeting will also reflect on PANCAP’s achievements; Sharpest regional reduction in HIV incidence by 48.1%; Decline in AIDS-related deaths by 55%; Antiretroviral coverage increased to 52% from less than 5% of the eligible population in 2001; Virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

The Executive Board will discuss the recent findings of the assessment of PANCAP and CARICOM Council of Human and Social Development (COHSOD), Ministers of Health endorsement of the Board’s decision to pursue Option 2: Streamline and Refocus of the three options identified by the assessment. Specifically, the Board will discuss and agree on the approach to streamlining and refocusing.

The meeting will receive the financial report and updates from the PANCAP Coordinating Unit, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) Centro de Orientacion e Investigacion Integral (COIN) and the OECS Global Fund grants, CARICOM Youth Ambassadors and the Caribbean Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS. Members will also identify the gaps and priorities for greater focus over the next year.

Read more about the PANCAP Executive Board here.

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Please see images of the meeting below:

(L-R) Director of PANCAP, Dereck Springer, Chair of the Executive Board of PANCAP, Hon. Robert Luke Browne, Minister Health, Wellness and the Environment, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Roger McLean of The University of the West Indies and Dr Douglas Slater, Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development, CARICOM Secretariat.

What is PANCAP?

PEPFAR Strategy reaffirms support for HIV/AIDS efforts in over 50 countries

On Tuesday September 19 2017, at the 72^nd United National General Assembly, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson released the new U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Strategy for Accelerating HIV/AIDS Epidemic Control (2017-2020), which reaffirms U.S. support for HIV/AIDS efforts in more than 50 countries, ensuring access to services by all populations, including the most vulnerable and at-risk groups.

The Strategy also outlines plans to accelerate implementation in a subset of 13 high-burden countries that have the potential to achieve HIV/AIDS epidemic control by 2020, working in collaboration with host governments, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and other partners.

The latest PEPFAR data show that, largely through the U.S. government’s support, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is coming under control in 5 of these 13 countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. These data also indicate that the previously expanding HIV epidemic in Uganda has now stabilized.

According to Ambassador Deborah L. Birx, MD, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large, U.S. Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy and Coordinator of U.S. Government Activities to Combat Global HIV/AIDS (PEPFAR), ‘as we work together to envision a very different future, what once seemed impossible is now possible because of your compassionate leadership and your commitment in the global fight against HIV/AIDS’.

The announcement was highlighted in The New York Times and Reuters.

Ambassador Deborah Birx further added ‘ this means we have the extraordinary opportunity to change the very course of the HIV pandemic over the next three years’.

Click here to download the strategy.

Click here for the PEPFAR media note.

Click here for the official press release.

PANCAP Surprises Dominican Republic Advocate with Champions For Change Award

The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), the mechanism that provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic, presented Operations Manager, Centro de Orientación e Investigación Integral (COIN), Vanessa Uziely Rosario Brito, with the PANCAP Champions for Change award. The impromptu presentation occurred on the second day of the PANCAP Champions for Change IV – Relaunch (September 12 – 13) and was initiated by Director of PANCAP, Mr Dereck Springer, who stated that Ms Brito was worthy of the title due to her ‘advocacy in human rights and facilitation of key populations access to justice in the Dominican Republic and regionally’.

The Dominican Republic is an official PANCAP member and continues to make strides to reduce the spread of HIV.

Ms Brito joins 16 PANCAP Champions who received their awards from Hon. Nicolette Henry, Minister of Education (Guyana) and Dr Douglas Slater, Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development, CARICOM Secretariat, during the opening ceremony on Tuesday, September 12.

Ms Brito was presented with her award by UNAIDS and PANCAP Advisor, Dr Edward Greene who referred to her many interventions for vulnerable groups including women and children; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community and persons living with or affected by HIV and AIDS.

She has a Law Degree from the Catholic University of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and a Masters in Corporate Law from the Antonio de Nebrija University, Madrid, Spain.

She is the Chairperson of the COIN Board and co-researcher on French Legislation in the field of HIV and AIDS for the University Hospital Center (CHU), Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadalupe. She is a Defense Lawyer on human rights and access to justice of vulnerable groups at the Human Rights Observatory for Vulnerable Groups of the Dominican Republic (ODHGV).

Ms Brito has studied best practices in holistic education on sexuality, sexual health and Human Rights at the Cuban National Center for Sexual Education (CENESEX). She is also the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the Foundation for Savings, Loans and Multiple Services in Primary Health Care.

She has defended the right of access by the public to government information as the officer responsible in the Office of the Free Access to Public Information (National Office of Public Defense, Dominican Republic).

In addition to her full-time occupation as Operations Manager in the Center of Orientation and Holistic Research (COIN), she works as an independent legal consultant.

PANCAP extends congratulations to Ms Brito and anticipates collaborating on issues related to promoting amendments to the law that protect vulnerable groups and create an enabling environment for access to prevention, care and treatment without the fear of stigma and discrimination.

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What is PANCAP?

New PANCAP Champions recommit to contributing to goals of UNAIDS 90-90-90 Targets

The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), the mechanism that provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic, completed the Champions for Change IV – Relaunch (September 12-13) with a declaration by the over twenty-five participants including representatives from civil society organisations, National AIDS Programme Managers, faith leaders, academia, youth, regional parliamentarians and representatives from UN organisations.

The declaration highlighted a recommitment by the participants to contribute to the goals of UNAIDS 90-90-90 Targets to end AIDS by 2030. Participants also agreed to advocate for access to affordable medicines and strengthening laboratory systems as a human right by 2020; support enactment of appropriate legislation, regulations and other measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination and to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons living with, at risk and affected by HIV by 2020.

Participants also pledged to utilize their influence to foster an enabling environment for all members of vulnerable communities including men who have sex with men, sex workers, persons who use drugs, girls and adolescents by 2020.

Participants committed to using their circle of influence to promote activities and programmes to further the Region’s success in the elimination of mother-to-child transfer of HIV and syphilis by 2020.

Emphasis was also placed on promoting initiatives that seek to integrate AIDS in a health/multisectoral approach in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goal #3; as well as propagating the implementation of Universal Health Access in accordance with the WHO/PAHO (2016) and World Health Assembly (2017) Declarations.

Participants also agreed to assist faith leaders to intensify efforts to provide spiritual, psychosocial, economic and physical care for persons living with HIV. Of note was an agreement to sustain activities that promote respectful dialogue between faith leaders and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) representatives.

Rev. Winston Mansingh, President of the Faith Based Network of Trinidad and Tobago and a PANCAP Champion for Change, urged the meeting to place further emphasis on persons with disabilities, especially those living with and affected by HIV. He illustrated examples of persons with disabilities not being able to access vital education about prevention, treatment and care due to messages not being tailored for their audience. Fellow Champion and Executive Director of LIVE UP: The Caribbean Media Alliance, Dr Allyson Leacock, echoed the sentiments of Rev. Mansingh and posited that websites, social media and other public education materials can be optimized for use by persons with disabilities. She stated that the initiative would require significant financial investment and that such a cause should be supported and propagated by the PANCAP Champions.

The final day of the event concluded with inspired words by UNAIDS and PANCAP Advisor, Dr Edward Greene, who charged the new Champions with using their influence to further the goals of the declaration in order to ensure success. Dr Greene stated that the next steps would include Champions building an effective network to use their collective influence to further the agendas of regional and international commitments for ending AIDS including the UN High Level Meeting Political Declaration (June 2016); the Caribbean Cooperation in Health IV (2016), the PANCAP Justice for All Roadmap (2015/2016) and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Dr Greene referred to the statements by Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Michael Dennis Byron, President, Caribbean Court of Justice, who delivered the keynote address at the opening ceremony. ‘Indeed, the law is an important determinant of health’, stated Dr Greene, ‘I urge you to combine your influence to call for revisions to be made to the legal system in the Caribbean that would comprehensively address the needs of vulnerable groups, including women and children; the LGBT community and persons living with or affected by HIV and AIDS.

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Editor’s Notes:

The 2017 Champions for Change include Guyana’s First Lady, Mrs Sandra Granger for her outstanding leadership and championing of the ‘Every Caribbean Woman, Every Caribbean Child’ Initiative; the Executive Director of LIVE UP Dr. Allyson Leacock; Attorney-at-law Dr. Arif Bulkan; Canon of the Cathedral in the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Canon Garth Minott, Member of Parliament (Guyana), Dr. Frank Anthony; the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Law and Economics (ILE), Jamaica, Dwayne Gutzmer; Founder and Managing Director of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) in Guyana, Joel Simpson; Executive Director of the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE) Kenita Placide; Speaker of the National Assembly of Belize and Chairperson of the National AIDS Commission, Laura Tucker-Longworth; Chair of the Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities (CariFLAGS), Lucien Govaard; Guyana’s professional squash player, Nicolette Fernandes; President of the Barbados Evangelical Association, Rev. Dr Nigel Taylor; Director of the National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Programme at the Bahamas Ministry of Health, Dr Nikkiah Forbes; Trinidad and Tobago Minister of Health, Terrence Deyalsingh; Deputy Programme Manager within the Communications Unit at the CARICOM Secretariat, Volderine Hackett; and Senior Pastor of The Poonah Open Bible Miracle Centre (POBMC), Trinidad and Tobago, Rev. Winston Mansingh.

What is PANCAP?

Contact:

Timothy Austin

Communications Specialist

PANCAP Coordinating Unit

CARICOM Secretariat

Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana

Email: taustin.consultant@caricom.org

Tel: (592) 222-0001-75, Ext. 3409 | Visit www.PANCAP.org and follow PANCAP on:

The Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Michael Dennis Byron, President, Caribbean Court of Justice urges new PANCAP Champions to use collective influence to help end AIDS

The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), the mechanism that provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic, relaunched the Champions for Change initiative during a ceremony on Tuesday, September 12 at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Georgetown.

Sixteen advocates for ending AIDS from across the region within civil society organisations, National AIDS Programme Managers, faith leaders, academia, youth, regional parliamentarians were recognized by PANCAP for exceptional work in advocacy.

The highlight of the event was a keynote address by The Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Michael Dennis Byron, President, Caribbean Court of Justice, who urged the new Champions to use their combined influence to make significant strides to reduce stigma and discrimination against HIV people living with HIV and to implement programmes and activities that seek to end the spread of HIV.

‘Your commitment to leveraging your individual and collective influence will play a key role in helping our Region, and the world, end this epidemic’ stated Sir Byron, ‘We can no longer sit back contently in our “rocking-chairs” of indecision and indecisiveness or intention and inertia and observe the undoing of all the advancements we have made. While we must celebrate those achievements, this is a time for A-C-T-I-O-N!’

In his examination of Judicial Attitudes and HIV and AIDS within the context of positioning the judiciary to effectively contribute to ending AIDS by 2030, Sir Byron contended that HIV affects every aspect of the human condition and, as such, it requires an informed, rational and just response if we are to be successful in ending the epidemic. ‘This premise is relevant to the judiciary in the discharge of its duties as guardian of the due administration of justice and protector of human rights’ contended Sir Byron, who also observed that law is an important structural determinant of health.

Sir Byron reasoned that judicial officers must exhibit and reinforce anti-discriminatory attitudes and practices that will supplement and underscore the efforts being made to end the epidemic. Judicial officers must manage what goes on in the courtroom, to ensure that persons who are susceptible to discriminatory treatment are treated fairly by all players in the judicial process including court staff, counsel, police officers, witnesses and such others.

Sir Byron proposed that it is incumbent for judicial officers to equip themselves with the requisite knowledge about HIV and AIDS, not merely knowledge of the law relating to HIV and AIDS, human rights, anti-discriminatory laws and the like, but also knowledge concerning the disease itself and issues which affect and promote the spread of the disease such as, for example, gender inequality.

‘Judicial officers must adopt a proactive stance to acquiring and updating this knowledge – we must obtain the relevant tools and materials’ stated Sir Byron.

Sir Byron shared his views on the role of the Caribbean Court of Justice. ‘As President of the CCJ, it is my view, that as an apex Court our reach should extend beyond the precincts of the Court and our adjudicatory functions. As a Caribbean institution, we must engage in activities which improve access to and the quality of justice for all and instill confidence in the fairness of the judicial system and the administration of justice’.

Sir Byron noted that in dealing with attitudes towards knowledge and capacity building, the propositions made in PANCAP’s Model Anti-Discrimination Bill for the establishment of a dedicated Anti-Discrimination Commission and Tribunal must be appreciated as they indicate a positive attitude towards capacity building. ‘The establishment of a dedicated grievance resolution system means that complaints will not be hampered by existing case backlogs within the current judicial systems across the region, which unfortunately still cause inordinate delay’, contended Sir Byron.

Assistant Secretary-General, Human and Social Development, CARICOM Secretariat, Dr Douglas Slater spoke on behalf of Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General, CARICOM. He stated that the ‘PANCAP Champions for Change initiative presents a unique opportunity to transfer the best practices learnt through PANCAP interventions, to the public health sector in the Region’. He described PANCAP as a best practice within the Region for coordinating and orchestrating effective interventions particularly among civil society organisations. He also referred to PANCAP interventions and capacity building for National AIDS programme managers as significant steps in the response to the spread of HIV.

Honourable Nicolette Henry, Minister of Education, Guyana in her remarks recommitted to using her influence to reduce stigma and discrimination within the health sector. She urged that health care practitioners should be professional and warned that stigma and discrimination are aiding the continued spread of HIV. ‘Treating people with dignity and respect should be at the forefront of the response to HIV,’ stated Minister Henry, ‘I am committed to speaking out against discrimination and will use my office to ensure people living with HIV receive the care and treatment they require’.

Ms Joan Didier, Board Member, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition, in her remarks stated that civil society is ‘imploring policy makers, parliamentarians and all those with influence to ensure that people living with HIV are not discriminated against when they seek help from public health institutions’. ‘A scornful look or an attitude of concern and care from a nurse or doctor, could mean the difference between life or death for someone with HIV,’ stated Ms Didier, ‘Champions, I urge you to use your platform to empower people living with HIV’.

The ceremony concluded with Sir Byron issuing an inspired charge to the new PANCAP Champions. ‘Efforts over the next few years will decide whether we will end AIDS by 2030 or face resurgence’, stated Sir Byron, ‘In over four decades of the epidemic, science, social mobilization, political commitment and coordinated response among key stakeholders have made it possible to end AIDS. History shall not be kind to us if we become complacent now’.

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What is PANCAP?

PANCAP Champions for Change Relaunched

The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), the mechanism that provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic, will relaunch the PANCAP Champions for Change initiative after an eleven-year hiatus. The two-day event will be held from Tuesday, September 12 to Wednesday, September 13 at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Georgetown, Guyana. The keynote speaker will be the Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Michael Dennis Byron, President of the Caribbean Court of Justice.

Originally launched in 2004, the Forum will include a wide cross section of PANCAP members, partners and stakeholders engaged in discussions around the theme ‘Champions for change IV: ending AIDS by 2030’. During the event, over fifteen (15) champions will be identified from among the participants, which include civil society organisations, National AIDS Programme Managers, faith leaders, academia, the private sector, youth, regional parliamentarians and other advocates for HIV awareness.

‘Champions for Change IV will seek to align the expected contributions of the Champions for Change with international and regional commitments for ending AIDS’ stated Director of PANCAP, Mr Dereck Springer, ‘these include the UN High Level Meeting Political Declaration (June 2016); the Caribbean Cooperation in Health IV (2016), the PANCAP Justice for All Roadmap (2015/2016) and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals’.

The Director further explained that the relaunched initiative will seek to assess the impact of recommendations for overcoming barriers to ending AIDS identified by major international and collaborating agencies, including the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) and The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS).

Participants of Champions for Change IV will also discuss recommendations from the recent PANCAP consultations of Faith Leaders (February 2017), National AIDS Programme Managers and Key Partners Meeting (March 2017), Meeting of Youth Leaders: Sexual and Reproductive Health (April 2017), Regional Parliamentarians Forum (May 2017), and other related initiatives such as the Caribbean First Ladies/Spouses championing the ‘Every Caribbean Woman Every Caribbean Child’ Initiative (February 2017).

PANCAP intends to utilize the relaunched initiative to create achievable targets, goals and timelines that will guide the new champions in their advocacy and HIV awareness implementation with the overarching aim of significantly contributing to the end of AIDS by 2030.

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Context – PANCAP Champions for Change

In the Caribbean, there were 285,900 people living with HIV in 2015, a decline from 333,400 in 2010 and 450,000 in 2005. However, 87% of People living with HIV live in just 4 countries in the Caribbean: Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba. There is also a variation in coverage with Cuba having the highest at 69% and the Jamaica, the lowest at 32%. Most countries have committed to ‘test and treat’ using the new WHO guidelines and the UNAIDS 90-90-90 Targets. While the Caribbean is on track to be the first region in the world to eliminate MTCT- Cuba, being the first country in the world to do so—there has been an increase in new HIV infections in Caribbean by 9% 2010-2015 (UNAIDS GAP Report July 2016) with the main drivers being Cuba and Jamaica.

Many Caribbean countries still criminalise same sex relations and in those countries, key populations such as men who have sex with men, sex workers and transgender persons are subjected to pervasive stigma, discrimination and violence.

History of the PANCAP Champions for Change Initiative

The PANCAP Champions for Change was initiated in 2004 and convened in St. Kitts and Nevis. The event brought together multi-stakeholders including parliamentarians, faith leaders, youth, private sector representatives, international partners and People Living with HIV. It focused significantly on eliminating stigma and discrimination. PANCAP facilitated further stakeholder engagements among faith-based organisations in 2005 and media operatives in 2006.

What is PANCAP?

Appointment of Regional Programme Manager – CariFLAGS

The Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities (CariFLAGS) wishes to announce the appointment of Mr Dane Lewis as Regional Programme Manager. Dane will lead the Secretariat’s work towards the effective implementation of the CariFLAGS project and management of the sub-grant from CVC/COIN titled, “Building LGBTI Leaders from the Inside Out” to strengthen LGBTI leadership in the Caribbean region. The Secretariat is currently based at the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) in Georgetown, Guyana. Dane can be reached by telephone at SASOD’s office on +592 225-7283 or directly by email at cariflags@sasod.org.gy.

Dane comes to the CariFLAGS Secretariat and Guyana, having served at the helm of leadership at J-FLAG in Jamaica for the past 9 years.