Story Highlights
- The Ministry of Well being and Wellness has carried out a raft of measures which are geared in direction of ending AIDS in Jamaica.
- Remedy websites have been elevated by 50 p.c between 2018 and 2020 shifting from just below 30 to 44. “We even have prolonged hours of care supplied at our authorities services or well being centres inside our Regional Well being Authorities,” Dr. Robb-Allen said.
- Jamaica will observe World AIDS Day on Wednesday, December 1, below the theme ‘Finish Inequalities, Finish AIDS, Finish Pandemics’.
The Ministry of Well being and Wellness has carried out a raft of measures which are geared in direction of ending AIDS in Jamaica.
Performing Senior Medical Officer (SMO) within the HIV/STI/TB Unit within the Ministry, Dr. Alisha Robb-Allen, outlined the small print throughout a JIS Assume Tank on Friday (November 26).
She knowledgeable that of the 32, 000 individuals which are estimated by UNAIDS to be dwelling with HIV in Jamaica, just below 50 p.c of them (15,000) are linked-to-care, which means that they’re receiving care at a therapy website.
“Of that quantity, there are individuals who’re on anti-retroviral (ARV) medicine, which is used to make sure that individuals who’ve HIV have a decreased viral load and makes them much less vulnerable to progressing to AIDS and contracting some other diseases which might make them extra possible succumb,” Dr. Robb-Allen stated. She defined that after individuals are on ARVs, they will reside a standard life, “so the individuals who’re retaining care are positioned on ARVs which might assist to lower the quantity of virus of their system so then they might turn out to be virally suppressed.”
Dr. Robb-Allen indicated that below the nationwide programme, all individuals who’re dwelling with HIV have entry to care and medicine.
“In 2017, we adopted the World Well being Organisation (WHO) Deal with All Coverage, so anyone who’s constructive is ready to entry ARVs at any of our 44 therapy websites,” she said.
The Performing SMO additional famous that the Ministry has expanded its testing, by including self-testing by the Nationwide Household Planning Board (NFPB) on the finish of 2020.
In the meantime, Dr. Robb-Allen knowledgeable that one other modality of prevention has been added to the Ministry’s choices.
“Pre-Publicity Prophylaxis (PREP) permits individuals who’re at excessive threat primarily based on their sexual profile or their sexual behaviour to entry ARVs to stop transmission of HIV from their sexual companions,” she said.
She defined that it decreases the potential for individuals who’re in relationships with individuals who’re constructive and planning to have youngsters, of transmitting HIV to their accomplice and their unborn little one. As well as, the Ministry has partnered with Well being Join Jamaica, by the College of the West Indies to supply an entry level for individuals with HIV to entry care exterior of the general public sector.
Remedy websites have been elevated by 50 p.c between 2018 and 2020 shifting from just below 30 to 44. “We even have prolonged hours of care supplied at our authorities services or well being centres inside our Regional Well being Authorities,” Dr. Robb-Allen said. “The Ministry of Well being and Wellness continues to accomplice by the nationwide HIV Programme with a number of civil society organisations together with Jamaica Community of Seropositives, Jamaica AIDS Assist for Life and the AIDS Healthcare Basis to make sure that prevention actions, in addition to therapy can be found for individuals dwelling with HIV,” the Performing SMO added. Relating to the prevention of mom to little one transmission (PMTC) of HIV and syphilis, Dr. Robb-Allen stated, “Jamaica is shifting towards elimination standing as we proceed to work in our antenatal clinics in addition to our hospitals and our well being centres to supply well being care to pregnant moms to stop the transmission of HIV from mom to little one”.
This, she stated, is finished by a PMTC programme that gives ARVs, in addition to breast milk substitutes “in order that we are able to stem as finest as doable the transmission of HIV to our youngsters.”
Jamaica will observe World AIDS Day on Wednesday, December 1, below the theme ‘Finish Inequalities, Finish AIDS, Finish Pandemics’.
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