Image: Ms. Lisa Thompson, Chief of Party, Advancing Partners & Communities (APC)

Advancing Partners & Communities (APC), in partnership with Ministry of Public Health (Guyana) and National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS), launched four public service announcements (PSAs) that provide knowledge about general HIV testing, partner and sexual contact testing, and the importance of accessing and remaining on HIV treatment.  The PSAs were produced by APC, with funding provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) at a cost of approximately G$13 Million.  This cost includes the distribution and broadcast expenses for the PSAs.

Ms. Lisa Thompson, Chief of Party, APC, explained that the PSAs are high-quality digital informational videos and the goals of the PSAs are to increase testing uptake, especially for partner and sexual contacts of HIV positive individuals, and to increase the number of persons on HIV treatment and remaining adherent.

She revealed that the APC project, through funding from USAID and PEPFAR will also be supporting the airing of the PSAs for the rest of the year via radio and television.

Ms. Thompson further highlighted that the videos and radio messages were developed by a task group comprising of representatives from the NAPS, civil society organizations (CSOs), APC and other experts from John Snow Research and Training Institute (JSI).

She stated, “through consultations and brainstorming sessions, it was determined that each topic would be produced in three formats: a one-minute animated video, an abbreviated version of the same video edited to 30 seconds, and a voice-only version produced for radio”.

She urged the stakeholders present to use and share the PSAs widely, “Help us to get the word out. Help us to encourage persons to know their status”, stated Ms. Thompson, “You go and get tested if you don’t know your status. When you know your status then you have information that can help you make the best decisions for yourself. Through the government and civil society, services remain available and this includes free HIV testing, treatment, and other support services”.

The PSAs are available on the PANCAP YouTube Channel and PANCAP.org.  Click below to view:

PSA: Disclosing your status 

PSA: Getting tested for HIV 

PSA: Antiretroviral drugs 

PSA: HIV Treatment Adherence 

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What is the Advancing Partners and Communities Project (APC)?

The Advancing Partners and Communities Project (APC) is an HIV focused project that is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) initiative”.

The APC project supports the work of the national program in addressing HIV/AIDS related issues

Through Community based client advocates and civil society organizations, APC supports the national HIV/AIDS program of the Government of Guyana through the national AIDS Program Secretariat (NAPS). Guyana’s national strategy Health Vision 2020 “Health for all in Guyana” A National Health Strategy for Guyana 2013 -2020” notes that “To meet the vision for 2020, the strategy targets the tri-partite goal:

i) advance the well being of all peoples in Guyana;
ii) reduce health inequities and;
iii) improve the management and provision of evidence-based, people-responsive, quality health services.

This is consistent with the UNAIDS goals of 90-90-90 – 90 percent of all people living with HIV know their status; 90 percent of those persons are on treatment and 90 percent of those on treatment are virally suppressed.