Release Type: Speech

Recognising the Role of Women in our society: Let us all be equal.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on 8 March. This year, the theme is: “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”. The theme is aligned with the United Nations’ Women’s new multigenerational campaign, Generation Equality, which marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

International Women’s Day is a day set aside to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
In the Caribbean, women play an important role in community building, nurturing families, national and regional development, inter alia.

Women live very progressive lives in some parts of the world. Their lives have, however, not been without certain struggles. In other parts of the world, they continue to struggle for equality and remain oppressed, and face specific issues, such as domestic abuse, gender-based violence, and the lack of access to education, jobs and health care.

Women account for more than half the number of People Living with HIV worldwide. Young women (10-24 years old) are twice as likely to acquire HIV as young men of the same age. HIV disproportionately affects women and adolescent girls because of the vulnerabilities created by unequal cultural, social and economic status.

As we celebrate IWD let us, therefore, reflect on the women in our lives: our teachers, our doctors, our nurses, our grandmothers, our mothers, our wives, our sisters, our aunts, our daughters, our nieces, our friends, and recognise the important role that they have been playing to make the world a better place for all of us.

PANCAP recognises the importance of women in our society and their struggle for an equal world.  We support their development and will work to ensure that the rights of women are addressed and advanced, particularly in areas related to HIV and AIDS, sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence.

PANCAP, therefore, salutes all women on this their very special day.

Helpful links:

UN Women’s International Women’s Day 2020 web page:
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/international-womens-day

International Women’s Day 2020 theme— “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”
https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2019/12/announcer-international-womens-day-2020-theme

Today I say goodbye to the Partnership. It was indeed a privilege to serve this dynamic Partnership over the last nine years, six and a half as Director. My wish when I took the reins as Director was that I would leave the Partnership better than I found it. Your many tributes over the last six months suggest that I have done so. Together we are now stronger and more resilient.

I am deeply grateful to my dedicated staff for their unwavering support to me and the Partnership. The staff believe in our mission, and although few, every day they demonstrate an unrivalled passion and commitment to serve the people of the Caribbean.  No task is ever too great for the staff of the PANCAP Coordinating Unit. They gave me the strength to embrace each day with gratitude, enthusiasm and humility. I owe our success to them.

I thank the Secretary-General of CARICOM for affording me the opportunity to serve the community and the wider Caribbean.  I extend a special thank you to the Deputy Secretary-General for helping me to navigate many minefields and her willingness to always give me an audience, to listen and provide guidance and support.  I thank my supervisor, Dr Douglas Slater for his confidence and for giving me the freedom to provide the leadership required for fulfilling our mandate and advancing the Partnership. A special thank you to the heads of departments and staff of the CARICOM Secretariat for their guidance and support.

I was inspired by Chancellor John Edward Greene, who mentored and supported me while modelling bold leadership and finesse while engaging with the political leadership in the Caribbean. I sincerely thank him.

Professor Peter Figueroa was unwavering in his support to me and the Partnership. I thank him for being a source of strength and encouragement.

I express sincere gratitude to our International Development Partners; The Global Fund and PEPFAR-USAID-CDC, PAHO, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF and others and the key players in the Partnership, including the Lead Head for Human Resource, Health and HIV, Board and PACC members, regional partners, Ministers, National AIDS Programme Managers, Chief Medical Officers, Permanent Secretaries, youth, civil society, key populations leaders, faith leaders, parliamentarians, academia, media and others, for investing in PANCAP and for your overwhelming support over the last six and a half years.

I wish you all success and look forward to a stronger Partnership under the leadership of our new Director, Dr Rosmond Adams.

Despite the substantial resources invested in the Caribbean region, we continue to be challenged by inadequate and unreliable data to help us to describe our epidemic accurately and inform programming. While significant progress has been made, the region is behind in achieving the 90-90-90 Targets by the end of 2020. The Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS (CRSF) 2019-2025 acknowledges that insufficient data-driven programming limits efforts to efficiently target activities to the geographic locations and populations in greatest need. The CRSF therefore, recognises that there is an urgent need to define a regional HIV research agenda that aligns with the priorities outlined in the CRSF, and which is anchored in the established academic institutions of the region.

Over the last three years, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has expanded a regional data repository to facilitate reporting on the CRSF indicators, thus providing an opportunity to simplify reporting by enabling country reporting to be streamlined and shared with other organisations as needed (CRSF 2019-2025). However, data gaps persist, as data were available for only 13 of the 28 indicators for the CRSF 2014-2018, largely because of limited site-level data management and slow reporting to national levels. While key population size estimates have improved, data collection from civil society organisations remains a gap. CARPHA has been working with countries to develop strategic information action plans to improve reporting.

Given our current reality, defining the regional HIV research agenda is high on PANCAP’s list of priorities for 2020.  In this regard, the Priority Areas Coordinating Committee (PACC) has provided guidance to the Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Working Group on Health on the process for determining the research agenda as well as the monitoring and evaluation needs which will be costed subsequently. This process is crucial for guiding research efforts and site-level available resources. The agenda would include among others, research, testing, treatment, adherence, retention, service delivery, and stigma and discrimination, that would inform regional policy change and improve outcomes for People living with and affected by HIV and key populations.

Implementation of the research agenda requires a paradigm shift, from thinking about data for reporting to thinking about data for use throughout programming. We must be cognizant of the need to also invest in data systems that inform programming. Successful implementation of the research agenda specifically requires the support of our universities that possess the skills to conduct such research, donor support and commitment from our national partners to facilitate the collection of data. Given the urgency, let us all commit to supporting the Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Working Group on Health to define a regional HIV research agenda.

This year’s World AIDS Day theme is “Communities make the difference”. According to UNAIDS, the observance of World AIDS Day is an important opportunity for stakeholders to recognize the essential role that communities have played and continue to play in the AIDS response at the international, national and local levels.

I believe that this theme shines a spotlight on the phenomenal work that is being done by communities. It allows us to pay tribute to the passion, advocacy, resourcefulness and relevance of communities and to honour and celebrate their stellar contributions to the HIV response. Communities include peer educators, networks of People living with or affected by HIV, such as gay men and other men who have sex with men, people who use drugs,  sex workers, women and young people, counsellors, community health workers, door-to-door service providers, civil society organizations and grass-roots activists. Since 1993 I have witnessed firsthand how communities have come together to do extraordinary things in their response to the needs of our brothers and sisters who were and continue to be challenged as People living with or affected by HIV.

As someone whose response was grounded at the grassroots level, I have seen communities give birth to groups and organisations to respond to HIV and the needs of key populations, speak up, inspire, and embrace our common humanity. I have seen communities stand alone against the self-righteous groups that see communities of men who have sex with men and transgender persons as a threat to the status quo and their authority over our so-called ‘” ordered societies”’. Communities have been an easy target for vilification and ridicule.

Communities have stood against the oppressors that seek to relegate them to second class citizenship. Communities have responded with compassion, enthusiasm, courage and practical solutions to effect positive change and to transform their lives.

It is the overwhelming response of communities that set us on this journey of resilience and has now given us hope that we can end AIDS. It is the advocacy and bold leadership of communities that forced the world to mount an unprecedented response to a public health threat such as we have never seen before. I am reminded of the words of Dr Jonathan Mann on the Tenth Anniversary of AIDS in August 1994. Quote – “We witnessed the birth of an authentic impulse of solidarity, our credo was tolerance; the scope and span of our communication were breathtaking. We helped open a new era in history and as we stormed the gates of the status quo, we knew we would prevail. Just as we learn about life by living, so we have learned about HIV and AIDS through real experience, hard work, joy and pain. There is nothing peripheral or superficial about what we have done. People around the world, facing specific immediate problems with prevention and care, or struggling against exclusion and discrimination, responded with creativity and courage which has no historical precedent, and which the world had no right to expect”. End of quote.

Communities were deeply affected and instead of crumbling in the midst of winter they rose up and found within themselves an invincible summer. It is their advocacy that saw the establishment of PANCAP, the first United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV and AIDS and global financing institutions such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It is communities that have strategically engaged with international development partners to ensure responsible transition and sustainability.

We must recognize communities as a coveted asset to the HIV response.  We must see communities as the glue that holds us together. We must see communities as the backbone of the HIV response. Communities can bring evidence of what is happening in their respective groups to inform advocacy.  We must see communities as worthy of investment. Therefore, as donor resources diminish, our governments and private sector must continue to invest in communities. When we invest in communities we are investing in our and our children’s future. We are investing in the vehicle to ending AIDS since communities are better placed to reach individuals that are underserved and who experience structural barriers, including stigma and discrimination, to access to prevention, treatment, care and support services. When we invest in communities, we are ensuring that we leave no one behind. Therefore, let us all commit to investing in communities for ending AIDS.

As this is the last newsletter for 2019, I would like to reflect on our achievements in 2019 and highlight key remaining challenges. We had set ourselves an ambitious agenda for 2019 with a heavy focus on improving coordination and governance and supporting county efforts to implement innovative approaches for prevention, care and treatment.

Achievements

Following extensive consultations and dialogue, we have successfully elaborated the fourth iteration of the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS 2019-2025 and a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework with indicators and targets, and a two-year implementation plan. The CRSF 2019-2025 provides high-level guidance to ensure that resources are directed towards effective interventions that maximize the impact of regional efforts and provide good value for money and to respond to the remaining gaps in the response.

The capacity of National AIDS Programme Managers and Civil Society Partners has been increased to deliver a more effective response through the annual meeting of NAP Managers and Key Partners, Share Fairs, learning exchanges, series of webinars, documentation and sharing of information.

We successfully implemented the CARICOM-PANCAP Global Fund grant 2016-2019, PEPFAR-USAID Coordination and Knowledge Management programme activities 2018-2019, and the PANCAP component of the 10^th EDF grant.

We mobilised additional resources from the Global Fund for a Joint CARICOM/PANCAP-CVC-COIN Caribbean Multi-country grant and leveraged additional resources from PEPFAR-USAID by directing funding for the knowledge management programme to CARICOM thus increasing efficiencies obtained from savings on management fees to several conduits. These efficiencies are being applied to fill gaps in knowledge management.

The PANCAP Coordinating Unit (PCU) has strengthened collaboration with departments of the CARICOM Secretariat to advance the implementation of the CRSF.

The PCU, with support from the CARICOM Secretariat and Johns Hopkins University, facilitated its staff development in the area of project management and knowledge management to increase the PANCAP Secretariat capacity to fulfil its mandate.

The PCU facilitated CRN+’s organisational review and strategic planning for sustainability and improved governance and accountability.

We have increased opportunities for high-level youth advocacy for adolescents’ access to sexual and reproductive health services and comprehensive sexuality education.

Challenges

While we applaud Guyana for achieving the first 90 Target, Cuba, Haiti and Suriname for achieving the second 90 Target and Barbados and Suriname for achieving the Third 90 Target, the UNAIDS Global AIDS Monitoring Report 2018 reminded us that the region is not on track to achieving the 90-90-90 Targets by 2020. It also reminded us of the critical need for bold political and technical leadership to dismantle human rights barriers to health. These barriers present a challenge to finding, testing and retaining key populations in treatment and care and to achieving viral suppression.

While we have made some progress in building national capacity to accurately report on the CRSF and other indicators, significant gaps in capacity persist at the national and regional level. Significant gaps in laboratory quality and human resources and access to lab services also remain.

As the Partnership prepares to welcome a new Director in 2020, it is critical that we continue to strengthen existing and forge new partnerships to leverage both technical and human resources for sustaining the response at the national and regional level.

Following the successful Global Fund Sixth Replenishment that raised US14 Billion for the next three years, we anticipate additional funding for eligible countries and for another multi-country Caribbean grant, However, we must temper our expectations and be prepared to receive reduced allocations.  We await PEPFAR’s Regional Operational Planning schedule for the first quarter in 2020 to determine what resources will be available. However, we must be mindful that donors are reluctant to continue to invest resources in countries and regions that fail to address structural barriers to key populations access to prevention, treatment, care and support services, particularly when they continue to see no significant decline in mortality and reduction in new infections despite investments for over a decade.

Appreciation

I wish to thank the staff of the PCU for their unwavering commitment and significant investment of time that enabled the PCU to serve the Partnership efficiently.

Special thank you to all partners for their assistance, support, collaboration and continued confidence in the Partnership.

I extend my sincere gratitude to Chancellor Edward Greene for his guidance and support to me and his invaluable contribution to the Partnership.

On behalf of the PCU, I wish all partners a Merry Christmas and a very successful 2020.

At the opening ceremony of the Inaugural Caribbean Congress on Adolescent and Youth Health (CCAYH) held earlier this month Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) reminded us of the Conference of Heads of Government Nassau Declaration on Health 2001: “The Health of the Region is the Wealth of the Region”. Ambassador LaRocque proffered that ‘The Health and Youth of the Region are the Wealth of the Region”.

The Congress was held under the theme ‘Championing our wealth: promoting the health and well-being of adolescents and youth in the Caribbean and was attended by over 85 adolescents and youth, as well as healthcare professionals, and Regional and development partners, educational, communication and other professionals. Over three days, the Congress received presentations and convened group discussions and plenaries around four themes: 1. Mental Health, Substance Use, violence and injuries; 2. Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, HIV and STIs; 3. Nutrition, Physical Activity, Sports and Youth Development; and 4. Climate Change and Environment.

I have no doubt that this Congress stimulated and challenged the thinking of our adolescent and youth in our Region to reflect on their health and the critical role that they must play to maintain good health. They were buoyed with excitement to share and to learn from each other, as well as from the experiences of the “youngish” as they fondly referred to all of us who were not as young as they are. As was expected, the youth were creative in their interactive presentations and sought to energise and to balance serious issues with humour.  It was a joy to listen to their passion, perspectives, intellectual analysis and their relentless call for the “youngish” to move beyond planning and advocacy to action and change. In fact, it was Dr Clarissa Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), who began that call during her keynote address at the opening ceremony when she reminded youth of the many commitments that have been made by the “youngish” policymakers. In pre-empting the youth’s thoughts, Dr Etienne posited that they must be asking, “so what?”. She made a clarion call for decisive action by our policymakers.

The Congress participants agreed on a Roadmap toward Adolescent and Youth Health in the Caribbean and recommended that member states invest in adolescent and youth health and development to ensure that young people survive, thrive and are integrally involved in the transformation of the countries of the Region.  Key strategic areas that can promote significant returns on investment and realise triple dividends include investment in mental health, sexual and reproductive health, mitigating climate change, and healthy lifestyles.  It was also recommended that youth must also be facilitated to actively engage in processes. The Roadmap included several policy and programmatic recommendations under the four themes of the Congress.

Cognisant of the above recommendations, it is incumbent upon us the technical leaders to facilitate our young people’s engagement at the level of our Heads of Government to bring the recommendations in the Roadmap to their attention, call for bold action by them, and receive commitments which are followed by action to implement the recommendations of the Roadmap, albeit incrementally. This is the only way that we can truly convince our young people – our children – that they are the wealth of the Region and answer Dr Etienne’s question, “so what”?

It is indeed a distinct honour to stand before you as CARICOM Youth Ambassador of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on this incredible occasion.

I deliver these words out of my mouth but pouring out of the hearts of young people – youths and adolescents of the entire Region.

Today we witness, and we contribute towards history. History is more than the path left by the past. It influences the present, and it can shape the future.

Today history is being made as we inaugurate the First ever Caribbean Congress on Adolescent and Youth Health!

This congress is a safe space, rich in dialogue, where international partners and practitioners can highlight and address issues/challenges circumventing good health and wellbeing of a major subset of the population and a critical human resource: the youth and adolescents; Not forgetting adolescents and youths with disabilities.

It is a catalyst for policymakers to discuss how to improve as well as how to sustain investment in our health in a manner that is deliberate, impactful, measurable and sustainable – #Agenda2030!

This Congress, the first of its kind is for youth, by youth, with youth and supported by the young at heart- the “youngish”. It is bolstered by momentum. It is action-oriented and should have a decisive follow-up.  This is not a talk-shop. We must set the basis for no less.  Health and well-being are far and wide and must be met with ambitious, future-oriented, systemic regional responses.

When I think of regional responses, I think of the Caribbean Community – the CARICOM.  Collaboration, comradery and cohesive Caribbean integration!

The dream and ideology are meaningful as my sister would say when referring to the epiphany that birthed CARICOM when it was established in 1973.

Today, this audacious, integrative move is so that future generations would have benefitted from what we as young leaders would have advocated for and what we have worked so hard to achieve.

The young people are here in this room. They are present and ready. They are ignited by passion and purpose. We are ready to contribute to the conversations that impact us – which we have been excluded, ostracized and marginalized- or on a good day- tokenized.

I say let’s do this together: inter-state, inter-organisational and inter-generational!

May God Bless you and May God Bless your nations. 

As always it is a pleasure for me to be here in Trinidad and Tobago but even more so this evening given that it is an event dedicated to our Region’s Youth.

I must congratulate Dr. Pemberton and her Planning Committee for having the vision to organise this first Caribbean Congress on Adolescent and Youth Health.

In 2001 at Nassau, our Heads of Government declared that “The Health of the Region is the Wealth of the Region”. This evening I take the liberty to amend it slightly to state that The Health and Youth of the Region are the Wealth of the Region.

I welcome the representation from across the Caribbean and I am pleased that some CARICOM Youth Ambassadors are participating in this event.

The voices and concerns of our youth must be heard and addressed as we seek to define the world in which we live today and tomorrow. Fora such as these present a suitable opportunity for discourse on issues which have a significant impact on our lives.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’.

This definition speaks to a holistic approach which I believe is well captured in the programme for the next three days.

A similar approach has been adopted by the CARICOM Secretariat, over the years, with respect to the development of programmes targeting our youth. These are being conducted through a multi-sectoral institutional framework for national policy, integrated planning, and action, through the CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan (CYDAP). This Plan is a product of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development (CCYD) in which the youthfully participated.

The Plan focuses on six priority areas with Health and Well-being as an important goal to be achieved. It emphasises “youth access to youth-friendly, gender-sensitive and culturally appropriate health information to maintain their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being”.

A key aspect of achieving and maintaining health and well-being is our lifestyle and the choices we make. The prevalence of lifestyle diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes so concerned our Heads of Government that they held the historic first-ever Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) right here in Port of Spain in 2007. They have held several special sessions subsequently on this topic with the latest in 2017.

It was recognised that NCDs have implications not only for our health; it also has serious social and economic repercussions. Caribbean countries are among the worst affected by NCDs in the Americas. A recent study in one of our Member States showed that the cost of dealing with NCDs is as high as five percent of GDP.

We must all be aware of the four acknowledged risk factors for NCDs. These are unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and harmful use of alcohol. That awareness must guide us towards behavior that minimises the risks.

Unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, in particular, are areas of significant concern with regard to childhood obesity. In the medium-term, obesity in children represents the greatest threat to the health of future generations.
In many CARICOM Member States, the level of overweight and obesity is more than 30% in both primary and secondary school populations.

Recognising the danger posed by this phenomenon, Heads of Government have endorsed policies geared towards arresting this worrying trend. These include tax measures on beverages and other manufactured food aimed at reducing fats, sugar and salt content. Proposals have also been put forward with respect to front of package labelling.

They have also urged the promotion of physical exercise in school-age children and greater emphasis on public education programmes encouraging healthy lifestyles.

A Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) 2016 survey of chronic disease risk factors in CARICOM Member States report substantial levels of tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol.

A 2013 Report on Student Drug Use in 13 Caribbean Countries, released by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), showed a marked increase in the overall average prevalence of drug use when compared to 2010.

The Caribbean Community has, for several years, been addressing the harmful use of drugs within the context of the Regional Drug Demand Reduction Strategy.

Among the notable initiatives undertaken which have either involved youth themselves or have targeted youth as a vulnerable group are:

 adolescent treatment and prevention training to build the capacity of drug demand reduction practitioners working with adolescents and youth; and

 capacity-building among youth in the use of edutainment as a means of communicating information on drug use prevention and treatment.

Another health issue that is gaining increasing attention among our young people is that of mental health. Last year in Jamaica at my annual interaction with the youth of the region this issue was specifically put forward by the youth.

One of our young health professionals presented a paper at that forum which pointed to a WHO/PAHO (2016) report that indicated that 4% of the regional population were treated for mental illnesses across the region in 2015. The most prevalent mental disorders were schizophrenia and depression with the highest diagnosis rate in the 18-30 age category.

She identified suicide as a possible outcome of mental illness with a mortality rate of 7.3 per 100,000 in the Region.

She referred to the pressure placed on youths to succeed in examinations, the phenomenon of bullying and peer pressure which all have an adverse effect on the mental health of adolescents and youth.

This issue has been, of late, receiving a lot of attention through sensitization and realisation of the seriousness of the matter. Last Thursday, World Mental Health Day, was used by our Member States to highlight initiatives being taken to combat the problem with emphasis on the youth.

One of the multiple risk factors for mental illness is posed by the traumatic psychological effects of natural disasters. As climate change continues to increase the intensity and frequency of these disasters in our Region, the toll on the mental health of our people is also a matter of real concern.

In the aftermath of the devastating storms, such as we saw in 2017 with Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and this year with Hurricane Dorian, serious health risks will arise, both physical and mental. Vulnerable groups bear the brunt of much of the damage, destruction and despair. PAHO has been very active working with our Member States to address the challenges. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is funding a project since 2018 on mitigating post-disaster mental challenges in CARICOM Member States.

This is one of the issues that demands that we increase our drive to create greater resilience to withstand the economic, physical and social effects of the climate phenomenon. You the youth must become involved, in helping to build our resilience as a Region.

CARICOM is also committed to improving the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and youth.

This is clearly articulated in the Integrated Strategic Framework for the Reduction of Adolescent Pregnancy in the Caribbean, produced by CARICOM and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). There is also the Regional Plan of Action for Women, Children and Adolescent Health, which was approved by CARICOM Ministers of Health in September 2018 and the Caribbean Woman, Caribbean Child Initiative.

The work done by the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) also addresses the sexual and reproductive health needs of adolescents and youth.

While the Caribbean has seen a reduction in estimated adolescent fertility rates moving from 91.6 in 1980-1985 to 60.2 in 2010-2015, some of our countries have the highest estimated adolescent fertility rates. In 2018, 13 percent of all births in the Region were attributed to adolescent mothers (10-19 years of age).

I have taken note of the expectation that this Congress will strive to arrive at core principles to address the health needs of adolescents and youth in the Caribbean. I therefore look forward to receiving your recommendations.

You can be assured of my commitment to continue engaging with our adolescents and youth to address the issues related to health and well-being and to ensure your continued valuable contribution to the achievement of a viable and prosperous Caribbean Community.

I thank you.

National AIDS Programme (NAP) Managers and Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Leaders sharpened skills for advocacy and media engagement at the recent PANCAP Communication Training. PANCAP recognises that engagement in advocacy and policy dialogue with national, regional and global partners is crucial for both NAP Managers and CSO Leaders if we are to fill the gaps articulated in the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS (CRSF) 2019-2025. PANCAP also recognises that our current pool of advocates in both national AIDS programmes and civil society organisations require training to strengthen their capacity to effectively engage with policymakers and the media.

Strategic Priority Area 1 of the CRSF 2019 – 2025 calls upon national technical managers and experts to become more sophisticated in their advocacy with policymakers and to take advantage of mass and social media as powerful tools for advocacy which cuts across all seven strategic priority areas. Our national managers and experts must provide the technical leadership required for bold and innovative action. Such action is crucial for effecting change in policy and legislation and increasing domestic resources for sustaining the HIV response.

UNAIDS reminds us that advocacy has sparked action in the face of denialism and indifference, mobilised unprecedented financial resources and enabled communities to participate in designing health services that meet their needs. UNAIDS emphasises that advocacy is a defining feature of the response to the AIDS epidemic, and it is a crucial factor in the levels of investment and political commitment dedicated to responding to AIDS.

The communication training enabled participants to increase their skills in advocacy for funding and policy change and to engage through the mass and social media from an evidence-informed position. Having sharpened their skills, technical national partners must now utilise the PANCAP Regional Advocacy Strategy 2017 to increase their strategic advocacy and media engagement.

This overarching regional strategy seeks to harmonise advocacy efforts and amplify the voice of PANCAP partners (including expanding the coverage of priority issues by mass media), to present a unified front with consistent messaging across constituencies and sectors, to extend reach into regional high-level political fora and national political processes and mechanisms, and to strengthen connections to the communities most affected by structural barriers.

It provides a framework for harnessing and building on the comparative strengths of partners in a way that increases the likelihood of success to create a broad-based coalition in which more established partners, such as the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), provide the capacity building and access needed for key population communities to be the drivers of advocacy action.

UNAIDS also reminds us that advocacy remains crucial to driving sufficient resources, addressing the needs of the people most affected, and holding governments accountable for the concrete results that will lead to ending AIDS as a public health threat. I call upon the participants of the training and other stakeholders to be bold in their advocacy while recognising that it takes practice to develop its full strength and potential. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote, “Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.”