Approximately $JA800 Million To Support National HIV-AIDS Response

The Government has allocated $744.22 million to support the National HIV-AIDS response in Jamaica.

Details are given in the 2017-18 Estimates of Expenditure now before the House of Representatives.

The objective of the project is to reduce AIDS-related morbidity and mortality with effective biomedical and supporting interventions, and reduce new HIV infections among key populations through behavioural and structural interventions.

For the 2017-18 fiscal year, it is anticipated that 12,500 men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) will be reached with HIV-prevention programmes (defined package of services); 3,400 transgenders reached with HIV-prevention programmes (defined package of services); 8,375 MSM to receive an HIV test and know their results; and 11,083 female sex workers (FSWs) reached with HIV-prevention programmes (defined package of services).

Plans are also in place to develop and implement a joint civil society advocacy initiative geared at increasing demand for legal reform and an effective redress mechanism by December 2017.

SEVERAL REACHED

As of June 2016, 2,349 MSM were reached with HIV-prevention programmes (defined package of services); 255 transgenders were reached with HIV prevention programmes (defined package of services); and 828 MSM received an HIV test and know their results during the reporting period.

Also during the reporting period, 87 transgenders received an HIV test and know their results; during the reporting period 765 MSM received a syphilis test and their results; 550 adults and children initiated antiretroviral therapy, with an undetectable viral load at 12 months; and 6,571 adults and children initiated antiretroviral therapy, who had at least one viral load test during the last 12 months.

The project is funded by the Government of Jamaica and Global Fund.

Meanwhile:

It's documentary season again it seems that the powers that be on the homeless front are still concentrated on immediate service needs more so than a proper shelter.

Preview these:

and

If we expect to bring down infection rates with an intertwined MSM vs transgender persons who blend in to get acceptance then we better think again. Hardly any sensible discourse comes out on other sub-cultural matters such as the prison connection, substitutional sex and so on including cruising psychologies.

If the project is to reduce AIDS-related morbidity and mortality with effective biomedical and supporting interventions, and reduce new HIV infections among key populations through behavioural and structural interventions I hope they really target the persons involved and not just expect the usual spin offs from the heteronormative driven social marketing.

Peace & tolerance

H

Jamaica’s AIDS funding fears allayed

JAMAICA’s funding fears have been allayed, even if only briefly, with a commitment from the Global Fund to continue supporting the country’s HIV response beyond the previously decided 2018 transition deadline.

Local groups expressed concerns earlier this year that the gains made in the HIV response could be hampered if the Global Fund withdraws its support because of Jamaica’s middle-income status, forcing the country to move away from donor funding to a more domestically funded health response.

The Global Fund, which provides support to countries in response to AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, allocates funds to eligible countries for a three-year period, based on the country’s disease burden and income level.

Jamaica was upgraded to an upper middle-income country by the World Bank in 2009, putting it at risk of losing the grant funding.

However, Ivan Cruickshank, chairman for the country coordinating mechanism for the Global Fund, told the

Jamaica Observer Tuesday that the grant-funding institution has committed to extending its funding support for the island.

“There was a bit of uncertainty in terms of the replenishment of the Global Fund,” Cruickshank admitted.

At the launch of the institution’s fifth replenishment in September, donors pledged more than US$12.9 billion for the next three years towards ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

The replenishment conference raised nearly $1 billion more than the previous one in 2013, with the amount raised expected to save eight million lives, avert 300 million infections, and help build resilient and sustainable systems for health.

The conference was only the beginning of a three-year replenishment period and the Global Fund said then that it intends to actively work to gain further contributions in the coming months and years.

“What this means for Jamaica is that, initially, it was expected that Jamaica would’ve transitioned out of global funding at the end of this grant, but the Global Fund has actually indicated in their most recent communication with us that they are extending that period,” Cruickshank told the Observer after speaking at the Jamaica AIDS Support for Life 25th anniversary media launch at the Courtleigh Hotel in St Andrew.

He explained that the country is now being prepared for the transition through a transition-readiness process.

“… So we are not going to transition at the end of this grant cycle. What we are actually doing is preparing the country in a way that the Government and all the other stakeholders are at a place that the transition can actually begin,” Cruickshank said. “Whether that is another three years down the road, we are not sure yet, but we don’t expect that we are actually going to transition at the end of this cycle which ends 2018.”

Cruickshank, whose organisation is responsible for applying for money from the Global Fund and ensuring that all targets are met and that the money is spent as intended, and as set out in the grant application, said the long-term vision is to stop receiving funds from the Global Fund for the HIV response.

He admitted that he does not know when it will happen but said he expects that it will be discussed in upcoming Global Fund meetings.

“This grant cycle actually ends in 2018 and we have a commitment from the Global Fund to continue funding after this particular grant ends; how long it will continue is to be (determined),” he said

also see:

Why did CVCC & JFJ not Fund a Project/Home for Homeless LGBT Youth in New Kingston?

ARV/CART shortage for HIV+ patients concern

What appeared to be some issues regarding HIV positive patients accessing antiretroviral drugs via the regional health authorities’ network linked to the Ministry of Health and type five health centres is real as drug shortages become more pronounced. For the past three months or so several emails to GLBTQ Jamaica alongside Facebook comments and face to face discussions etc. have revealed a trend from persons being told to buy their medications at selected pharmacies with their National Health Fund, NHF cards to trying Drugserv; although the meds costs anywhere from $300 to $500+ per bottle with the card they also are short on stock, owing to the fact that persons were used to gaining said meds by the aforementioned clinic systems and via social worker departments and dispensaries located there instead of pharmacies so the pharmacies do not replenish stocks as fast I was made to understand.

Then there is the question of the over burdened Drugserv publicly aided pharmacies that are already pressured by crowds sometimes as early as 5 or 6am at their branches; one has to join a long line and or effectively bribe a security or others to hold a space in extreme cases (apart from knowing someone inside). They also have drug shortage challenges as the Cross Roads and Portmore branches according to checks are out on Truvada and or EFV and Atripla, the main drugs. Combivir AZT which is still prescribed for some patients is also low but seemingly not as the other items. The other rarer types and brands appear to be not as impacted as the main treatments. While the drugs are cheap it can be frustrating the wait but the technocrats who oversee these things live in unimpeded comfort as they can afford better treatment experiences in the health systems or fly to overseas centres, so who cares really?

The issue also came up for mention on radio on August 4 during the check mail section of the daily show “At Your Service” hosted by the popular Mr Darby, the persons who texted in did not want to be identified by were clear as to their frustrations. Some are stuck with repeat prescriptions unfilled or the available drugs that may also be on the slip are supplied and a reissued prescription is handed to the persons involved to go elsewhere. Also of concern are the other items some clients normally would get such as iron tablets in the form of ILV or Feso4, B-complex capsules, staggered dosages of Bactrim and certain creams such as Clotrimazole, Betnovate cream and Fluconozole for persons with skin issues as the immune systems are compromised and or may have other running conditions such as diabetes.

Strangely the HIV AIDS conference just ended and with all the powerhouses and bureaucrats who attended seemed more interested in preserving their heads in the soon to be ended Global Fund support in 2017/8 while the agitation for better drug stocks for present populations seems missing. While Africa featured in that department Jamaica did not; since the World Bank’s reclassification of Jamaica as a middle income country automatic qualifications for certain types of support come into effect. The main drugs such as Atripla (with tenofovir dixoproxil fumarate, TDF) Efivarenz and Truvada should never be short seeing they are available. The agitation that is to come on behalf of HIV patients is missing on many fronts, that it should get to the stage where patients are crying out is disturbing, when persons were assured that the drugs will be available consistently. Sometimes we have to wonder if there is any real concern about HIV positive patients given the feeling of complacency that has come to define the work.

Why aren’t said powerful HIV/LGBT outfits that control the cogs of prevention are silent on certain things? Items such as the expected switch over from tenofovir dixoproxil fumarate, TDF to tenofovir alfadamide where studies have shown better absorption of the latter in far less dosages (300mg versus 10mg) hence better CD4 and viral load results but the old generation ARVs or CART are still being dispensed. All of a sudden treatment naive patients are now the ones who can use the latter, despite the studies showing very little deleterious effects from the migration. TDF bleeds into the bloodstream so from a typical 300mg tablet maybe just over50% of that gets where it needs to go inside the cell cytoplasm. Then there is already ticklish question of adherence which can be frustrating in a sense for social and outreach workers, if not doctors and adherence staff. Persons do not take their meds on the basis of judging that they have no underline visible issues so they take chances or as a friend of mine hinted recently he is tired of swallowing pills, in other words treatment fatigue.

While the drugs maybe ‘free’ is not every impacted person can literally find the money to travel to the suggested pharmacies as they tend to be located far from the clinics the patients attend. For example in St Catherine persons from as far as Old Harbour or further are being told to go to a pharmacy in Kingston off Washington Boulevard. Again while the charge of $300 per bottle of one month’s supply the transportation cost to get there for some is debilitating as many persons are unemployed. The grants that would flow to assist persons in some sort of training or stipends for some are also all but dried up. Some persons would also be able to request basic food assistance such as rice, peas such items are becoming rare according to reports.

Why is it that the inventory systems have slipped that stocks have been allowed to go to such low levels is strange to me, persons have also been staggering their dosages to one tablet in the case of Atripla every other day so as to stretch the stock which is not recommended as yet despite a recent study citing the same drug suggesting three days dosages can provide the same results. One doctor who was contacted on the matter strongly cautioned that persons who are practicing such staggering should stop.

See a previous entries:

News From the 2016 International AIDS Conference

New single-tablet HIV treatment Genvoya wins FDA approval

Tenofovir Vaginal Ring Provides Protection Against HIV in Women

First Generic Atripla Approved for Developing Nations 2009

Taking Atripla Three Days a Week Maintains Undetectable HIV Viral Load, Pilot Study Finds

I hope that the powers that be can act quickly especially owing to the present ZIK-V infections and related possibly debilitating challenges such as GBS, HIV positive patients cannot afford that kind of exposure due to staggered treatment by shortages only to lead to CD4 counts falling. Some concerns were raised recently in a space of falling CD4 counts in MSM as well prior to the shortage coming into effect. I hope some change can come soon to alleviate the problems and concerns.

here are some figures from 2014:

HIV prevalence - 1.6% Males: 2%

Females: 1.3%

Estimated number of people living with HIV

Total: 29,000

Women: 11,000

Number of number of

people living with HIV under antiretroviral (ARV) drugs treatment

Total: 9,141 in 2014 (5,826 in 2010)

Adults: 8553 (5390 in 2010)

Children: 588 (436 in 2010)

ARV coverage (%): 31%

Estimated number of new infections and trend: 1,500

Overall: New HIV infections declined from 3,000 in 2000 to 1,500 in 2014, a 50% decline

Mode of transmission (2012)

- Heterosexual sex within partnership: 32%

- Casual heterosexual sex: 22%

- Sex workers, clients and partners of clients: 10%,

- MSM: 32%

- Female partners to MSM: 7%

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission coverage (number and %): 93% (74% in 2010)

Estimated number of HIV-related deaths: 1,300 people (2,400 in 2005; 46% decline)

Peace & tolerance

H

That UK aid issue again with Cameron ........

Please also see previous matters concerning Cameron on UK Aid and misnomers on conditions from 2011 as posted on my sister blog GLBTQJA Wordpress:

FOREIGN AID FOR AFRICAN COUNTRIES WITH ANTI-GAY RIGHTS RECORDS TO BE SLASHED, PLEDGES DAVID CAMERON

MINISTER CONFIRMS UK WILL REDIRECT AID, NOT CUT IT, FOR HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

JAMAICA SHOULD REFUSE BRITISH AID – FAMILIES AGAINST STATE TERRORISM CONVENER 2011 - this was prior to Miss Yvonne McCallah Sobers was transformed into an LGBTQ ally altogether

Gay pressure - US to limit aid (Observer) and more 2011 from GJW

UK couples say 'I do' as gay marriage becomes legal 2014

So here we are again this old familiar place as UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron is slated to land in Jamaica some idiotic groups claiming to be Christians as one wonders really the victimization card is used once again as the US clerk gay marriage licence fiasco is added to give it credence. The misrepresentation by some in 2011 when PM Cameron spoke to withdrawal of UK aid from countries who do not have a clean human rights record will not get aid until changes are made is back again and came in both a Jamaica Observer article and on radio by George Davis in his opening salvo on the ‘This Morning’ radio show during the What’s on my mind’ segment. Cameron has become the focus of reparations activists since evidence in their eyes that he is a descendant of former slave owners in Jamaica who benefited from a payoff of some 4000+ pounds sterling or about a couple million pounds in today’s money with other former owners as well hence the backlash on his visit and tied into that is the perception that he will dictate to Jamaica allowing gay rights and same sex marriage, Sadly anti gay groups have not come to recognize marriage equality. The UK finally moved from civil partnerships to full marriage equality in March 2003. As far as I am concerned foreign countries are free to remove aid as they see fit and even if Cameron decided to remove aid from countries that continue to have outdated anti sodomy laws (which is not true as we still get great assistance from the FCO – foreign commonwealth office and DFID) we should conduct our affairs in such a manner that we do not have to depend on aid in the first place so the folks who are repulsed by such decisions to stop aid an shut up and stop subscribing to a mendicancy position while demanding we still get aid on our terms; it does not work like as the old adage is still true he who pays the piper can and still call the tune.

also see: PAJ SENDS OPEN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER SIMPSON-MILLER on the matter of no press conference activity for the press core.

Jamaica has become exceedingly efficient in my view of marketing ourselves as a third world country on the international stage with a broken wing or fractured leg economically so as to continue to benefit from certain automatic aid with such a designation especially from the EU and the UK; yet as some hints were forthcoming that we were to be lifted one tier to middle income and all kinds diplomatic dancing was done to delay or rebuff nicely such a change, only recently foreign affairs minister during his speech at the UN referred to developing states as requiring aid to continue development but he framed it as partnering so as to nice up the rhetoric. If we had handled our affairs properly to begin with s Singapore did there would be no need for aid grantors or donors to supposedly dictate the terms for such aid to be granted and persons would not be up in arms over a situation that can be changed by our prudent governmental management and planning. Grantors are free to attach any stipulation they require and we are free to deny the aid but can we afford to take the high road? Hell no or else our systems will crash as some ministries are heavily dependent on said aid.

The reparations call though on the face of it sound plausible to me reflects that same mendicancy hidden within as instead of making our country better for ourselves even in the face of the atrocities meted out to our ancestors a better response to me would be resist aid with strict conditions as we could have afforded to and instead request or even demand more cooperative arrangements in a better bargaining position so we would not be dictated to in the first place. This latest visit and talks will be frosty indeed or just one way and with a Portia Simpson Miller obviously lacking the skills in certain departments it will be a walkover almost for us to accept the aid with the so called gay agenda attached as espoused by the fear mongering class. Let us remember that aid is essentially tax payers money from other lands as leverage for bilateral cooperation and so forth and will always have attachments, taxpayers in donor countries are free to tell their representatives in their democracies that aid should be conditional or withdrawn altogether if they feel it is wasted or exploited and developing states cannot dictate terms and conditions so easily. Recall the Cotonou Agreement from the EU with ACP states?

also see: African, Caribbean & Pacific issue declaration to EU "To refrain from any attempts to impose its values which are not freely shared" 2010

The day we lose some of those grant aid assistance or donor funds is the day we will really begin to see our state systems crumble as truth be told most of our systems the health authorities is funded by said grants such as global fund, EU and trade matters under the Cotonou Agreement or the respective sugar deals with Europe.

Gay marriage (Congratulations America! Cheers To Liberty! ....... Gay Marriage at last!) though not formally requested thus far by any group or advocacy structure may be included in the behind the scenes agitation or engagement with politicians and the judiciary yet still as during my time at JFLAG as Admin/Finance/Crisis Intervention Officer in our meetings with the then JLP administration Justice, National Security and other Ministers in private meetings it came up for mention but not with a view for law reform at that time, of course with the advancement and sensibly so in more mature jurisdictions it is bound to come up in discussions; the sexual offences bill is under its usual four year review cycle and no doubt the agitation is to decriminalize (NOT REPEAL) buggery as is presented by fanatical religious extremists locally and with powerful overseas help as was demonstrated recently in the form of the daughter of Martin Luther King departing from the collective struggle of oppression mantra he stood for. Sadly JFLAG’s slow and poor communications on what they are seeking only seeks to allow misnomers and hardened positions on ignorance of the issues and reforms being sought. The far smaller anti gay rally held on Sunday in Half Way Tree when compared to last year where they boasted a 25,000 numbered attendance obviously had the bread and butter issues for households and a looming election occupy the minds of Jamaicans thus impacting on the attendance figures and many even those who supposedly opposed homosexuality are at the same time dismissing some of the paranoia from anti gay groups such as Jamaica CAUSE, Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, JCHS, Lovemarch Movement (the baby of the groups) and the veterans Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship. Even when it has been clearly demonstrated that the marriage act in Jamaica cannot be changed on a moment’s notice or by a simple two thirds majority as is being attempted with the CCJ Caribbean Court of Justice bills to make that court our final court of appeal, the aforementioned groups simply reject the facts as they are and continue to infuse fear mongering and playing the victim card n a few cases and supposed choking of freedom of speech as a spin off from the Professor Bain matter. The marriage act clearly is protected in our constitution by entrenchment and would require all 63 members in the lower house to agree just to amend the protections; then another full support in the upper house of the senate and the Charter of Rights which replaced section three of the constitution. 

The fundamental questions in my mind are simple, when was the last time in our political culture we have had all members of the house present in person for important bills and they all vote in the affirmative on a controversial constitutional matter? The answer in my view is a long time; so this near impossibility or very tedious trajectory for such changes literally makes the agitation by anti gay groups laughable, yet other societal ills go overlooked; case in point the unravelling in a formerly quiet parish as Hanover where in the very week prior to the homophobes rally in Half Way Tree, HWT some 23 persons were murdered and it is as if it was birds who were shot and not humans. We have an ongoing commission of inquiry on the Tivoli issue and these groups despite the alarming testimony on pointing to extra judicial killings and atrocities in May 2010 no word, rallies, protests and such have come from these so called concerned groups yet millions are spent for an anti gay campaign; lest we also forget the welfare matters such as homelessness, poverty and so on yet these head strong groups ignore these matters and give very little attention to them. When challenged they cough up some half hearted response to deflect criticisms but simply go back to their true calling and imperative. Did these groups participate for example in that 10,000 man March in Montego Bay given the crime wave linked to lotto scamming there? The answer is no as the organizers were said to be of a different denomination in the majority although it was a coalition of religious leaders.

Other ills overlooked that ought to have rallies as the public awareness activities:

Pastors who molest children

Pastors arrested for lotto scamming and other fraudulent activity

Obvious corruption in government

Hypocrisy in theology and hugging up political parties

Spiraling crime and sexual abuse generally

Sluggish, unbalanced justice systems

Failing national health systems

Homelessness, elderly abandonment and other welfare matters

Lack of equity in society

Diminishing morals, ethics and principles while not conflating issues such as paedophilia and homosexuality or seeing transgender folk as suffering mental illness

The Hypocrisy of Jamaican Anti Gay Groups & Selective Actions of Societal Ills 

Gay Marriage Smoke Screen, False Dichotomies and Religious Fanatics 05.06.14 

Now comes the above mentioned Jamaica Observer article:

Members of the Love March Movement pose with placards with traditional marriage and family slogans during the rally. (PHOTOS: PAUL HENRY)

RELIGIOUS leaders and other proponents of traditional marriage and the family have cautioned the Government ahead of today's visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron against caving to the gay agenda.

The call was made during a mass rally Sunday in Half-Way-Tree, at which the Portia Simpson Miller-led Administration was urged to resist international pressures to put the nation on a path to repealing the buggery law and legalising same-sex marriage.

Dr Alveta King, the granddaughter of famed American civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King Jr, urged Jamaicans, in a video message at the rally, to maintain the resistance, as she described same-sex marriage and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) push as an "evil agenda authored by the father of confusion and lies".

She said this "anti-procreation" agenda distorts the meaning of human rights and destroys lives, families, and the communities.

"I urge you to resist this agenda with all your might. Please, do not fall for the deception of this anti-procreation agenda. Rather, expose their lies and affirm the truth that God made us equal as human beings, but not all behaviour have equivalent worth and outcomes," said King, who is director of African American Outreach for Priest for Life.

Cameron's pending visit has been a cause for unease among the church and those who hold a traditional view of marriage and the family due to his position on the issue.

Gay marriage became legal in the United Kingdom at midnight on March 29, 2014, due to the push by the Cameron Administration.

"I am proud that we have made same-sex marriage happen. I am delighted that the love two people have for each other and the commitment they want to make can now be recognised as equal," the UK Evening Standard newspaper quoted Cameron in 2013.

During Sunday's rally, staged by Jamaica Churches Action Uniting Society for Emancipation (Jamaica CAUSE), Cameron's position on same-sex marriage was highlighted by several speakers.

Fear that Jamaica may cave to the tide of the LGBT push has been further heightened by the fact that Jamaica's weak economy relies heavily on grants from European countries that tout gay rights.

"Be careful who you take grants from...," Bishop Alvin Bailey, chairman of the Jamaica Evangelical Alliance, told the rally.

Bailey also warned against the Government making "secret" deals that could take the country down what he said was the wrong path.

"David Cameron is coming, but we have to know where we stand on this thing," said Daniel Thomas, president of the Christian youth group Love March Movement.

He urged Christians to get enumerated in order to vote for candidates who share their views on marriage and the family.

Dr Everett Brown, president of Jamaica's largest denomination, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, called on the Government to resist any international efforts to impose same-sex marriages and homosexuality on the country. He said these "evil" and an abomination, and said they are product of minds void of understanding.

Father Richard Ho Lung, of the Roman Catholic faith and head of Missionaries of the Poor, quoted scriptures and urged attendants at the rally to resist the LGBT agenda, which he said is from the devil. He urged the sea of people decked in the national colours of black, green and gold to stand up for God's truth, even if it eventually cost their freedom and lives.

Helene Coley-Nicholson, president of the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship, told the audience that the Jamaican Constitution recognizes marriages between a man and a woman and quoted Martin Luther King Jr, saying that the people had a moral duty to disobey unjust laws.

Representatives from a Christian delegation from the Eastern Caribbean also addressed the rally.

ENDS

More fear mongering and clouding the issues as Betty Ann Blaine without any proper proof to substantiate her claim repeated her allegations that all murders over the years and cases of asylum are predicated on lies taking another blow at the overall crisis communication component of public advocacy. She also continued that Jamaica is not homophobic while speaking at Sunday's so called ally for the family. Les Green's (former police Dept Commissioner) designation of such cases as not homophobic is what Blaine is still relying on from so many years ago and yet Mr Green could not have had all the records of such cases to begin with when the police/LGBTQ relations were frosty at least and abusive at its worse.

She has proven herself as one of those folks who lap up the vomit she is fed and then glibly regurgitate it without any fact checking.

see some previous entries with Blaine:

The Deliberate Misuse of the “Sexual Grooming” Term by Antigay Fanatics to Promote Their Hysteria

More Overreaction to the Jamaicans for Justice Sex Education Course & Media Senationalism

Hardened Positions by Religious Fanatics & Their LGBT Detractors Will Only Leave More Blood on the Floor

Gay Murders Jamaica – Gay Community Divided

Anti Gay Voice & 'Child Rights' Advocate Betty-Ann Blaine Taken to Task on Public Advocacy

The long standing hole in the crisis communication via the lobbyists and advocates has once again reared its head remember the last time we saw a decrying of such agitation of murders of gay persons as lies by Betty Ann Blaine and then outgoing UK seconded police commissioner Les Green at the time with his parting shot Gay lobby claims not true, I had dealt with the matter via two audio posts/podcasts (pretty lengthy):

Big Lies, Crisis Archiving & More MSM Homlessness Issues 12.07.12 and

Big Gay Lie ... responses continued and

Homophobic Killings versus Non Homophobic Killings 12.07.12 (highly recommended)

Let us also bear in mind the public's perception that is yet to be dented that it is gay men who are really killing each other due to jealousy as this old Jamaica Observer vox pop brings to bear: NO GAY RAGE - Homosexuals Are Not Targeted For Violent Crime, Say Experts

Why did CVCC & JFJ not Fund a Project/Home for Homeless LGBT Youth in New Kingston instead of the Children’s Home Fiasco that now obtains?

Betty Ann Blaine Deliberately Conflates Same Gender Attraction & Child Abuse 2014 last year's rally

Betty Ann Blaine on Poverty, children and the Buggery Law .... and that awful confusion of homosexuality 2012

Betty Ann Blaine & foreign religious zealots continue their paranoia & misrepresentations 2012

The battle is on to change hearts and minds but it seems there is cloudiness on all sides pro and anti LGBTQI lines; how can we ever even start a proper conversation instead of the shouting match that now obtains as parties hold hard ends?

Peace & tolerance

H

Caribbean Region Must Change Mindset About HIV/AIDS – Dr. Ferguson

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson addresses day-two of the PAN-Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS’ (PANCAP) consultation on justice and human rights being held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston from April 9 to 11. The forum is being held under the theme: ‘Advancing Justice for All and Human Rights in the Caribbean’.

Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, has called for a change in mindset and greater solidarity among peoples of the Caribbean to end stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV/AIDS.

This is particularly necessary among key populations that are at higher risk of infection, he insists.

“Our culture remains one of the biggest barriers to the type of success we want, in terms of ending stigma and discrimination. Strong cultural and religious beliefs have led to the isolation of some high risk groups,” he stated.

Dr. Ferguson, who was speaking at Thursday’s (April 10) second of a three-day Caribbean Consultation on Justice for All and Human Rights Agenda, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston from April 9 to 11, said these majority sentiments continue to interfere with HIV-reduction and treatment among certain groups across the region.

He noted that it will not be easy to tackle many of the deeply embedded systems that form part of the cultural and religious principles of many persons in the region, but said it must be done in order to ensure justice, human rights and proper treatment for all.

Dr. Ferguson further argued that Caribbean leaders have a role to play in ensuring the dignity of all persons and providing equal opportunity for all to strive in society.

“As leaders, we have to put aside our personal beliefs, discomfort, and prejudices. We, therefore, have to initiate frank dialogue on stigma and discrimination,” he stated, further noting that leaders must not shy away from the many issues confronting them, regardless of how “uncomfortable it may be for some of us”.

“HIV and AIDS cannot be about personal interest, it has to be about the greater good,” he stated.

The Health Minister, therefore, said the three-day consultation was timely and important as the region seeks to identify concrete programmes and policies to dismantle structural barriers that deny human rights and impact vulnerability.

He said Caribbean leaders must use the opportunity to identify key elements of the Caribbean road map on the justice for all and human rights agenda as well as determine the measures to be put in place to reduce HIV-related stigma and the elimination of discrimination.

“We also aim to create a facilitative environment and removing discriminatory laws and practices,” he stated.

The Caribbean is the second-most affected region in the world in terms of HIV prevalence, with an estimated 260,000 people living with the disease. Key populations including men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who use drugs and transgender people remain most affected by HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The three-day consultative workshop is part of the PAN-Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS’ (PANCAP) Justice for All and Human Rights campaign and is being held under the theme: ‘Advancing justice for all and human rights in the Caribbean’.

It aims to advance the Caribbean human rights agenda and is the culmination of a series of national consultations held over the past six months, in several Caribbean countries.

Those in attendance at Thursday’s sitting included Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas; Montserrat’s Minister of Health, Education, Community Services and Labour, Colin Riley; and Grenada’s Minister of Health, Dr. Hon. Clarice Modeste Curwen.

The consultation is being coordinated by the PANCAP Coordinating Unit in collaboration with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), the Government of Jamaica, and the University of the West Indies, with financial support from the Global Fund.

Health Minister Ferguson on WAD '13 & FBOs fear of a Buggery repeal with future parachuted gay marriage rights

In an interview on local radio station Love 101FM on the upcoming World AIDS Day observance and the activities Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson used the opportunity to somewhat appeal to the faith based organizations to also participate in the response to HIV via the national program. The theme for this year is "Justice for All" and he mentioned the concern with the infections rates in certain groups such as men who have sex with men. He highlighted one of the issues with regards to the human rights aspects of the response that faith based organizations have concluded that it is an attempt to decriminalize buggery and somehow parachute same sex marriage as we have seen from voices such as Fellowship Tabernacle's Reverend Al Miller aligned to the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship and the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, JCHS.

He said ".....that is not the intent why there is the need to review these laws many of them appear to be punitive; there is also the fact that we now need to get to faith based leaders and others to say this is not about Buggery, this not about same sex marriage, this is about how do you as a Christian see, uhm, persons who need care having access to that care; once you shut them out as a group because you might have certain moral views about them then what you are now doing is spreading, setting up the possibility with that high prevalence setting up the possibility for spread of HIV"

He also mentioned that the rate was 32% in MSM but my last workshop with the national program some time ago the 2010 study has moved that to near 34% but the silence is deafening in as far as the new figures as 32% is from the 2007 study. Political bi-partisan support has helped the response to become so robust and he mentioned civil society and the country program under global fund is led by same. 

The last grant from GF of some forty million US dollars ended in July 2013 with ten million dollars from the world bank which ended in March of this year. Therefore the thrust in as far as the millennium development goals due 2015 as HIV is goal number six strategies must be found to push ahead to achieve the target and a partnership with FBOs. 

How does this new thrust however plays into the recent change in direction by the administration on the suggested (turned promise) conscience vote on buggery to now having a debate/possible amendment to the Sexual Offences Bill even as the upcoming case in the constitutional court by Javed Jaghai slated for November 2014 is unclear. Is the amendment a pre-cursor to the case so as to nullify the trial?

Here is the audio from the interview:

This interview also comes on the heels of news that:

 

World Council of Churches Supports Gay and Intersex People

Peace and tolerance

H

HIV Project Under Threat

Nagra Plunkett, Gleaner Assignment Coordinator

WESTERN BUREAU:

Jamaica's bid to stem HIV/ AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis is poised to hit a snag, as the country's 'upper-middle income' classification renders it ineligible for further financial grants from the Global Fund.

The country has received US$26 million from the fund for the next three years, which will be used to continue prevention, treatment and care interventions.

"The significant gains we have made in combating these three diseases are in large measure due to the support from the donor community. I believe that the donor community must re-examine the classification, especially in light of the impact of the global financial crisis," Health Minister Rudyard Spencer said yesterday.

Spencer was speaking at the opening of the Global Fund Country Coordinating and Regional Co-ordinating Mechanisms Workshop at the Hilton Rose Hall in Montego Bay, St James.

"All sectors are in decline in Jamaica, the economy is weak and experiencing a protracted period of no growth and we continue to have a high debt to GDP (gross domestic product) ratio. The situation has implications for health spending, health-seeking behaviours and health outcomes."

Assist existing efforts

The Global Fund is a public-private partnership dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The fund works in collaboration with other bilateral and multilateral organisations to supplement existing efforts to deal with the three diseases.

Spencer said Jamaica has not won the war against HIV/AIDS, as some 27,000 Jamaicans are living with the virus, and half that number are unaware of their status. Men who have sex with men, commercial sex workers, inmates and cocaine-crack users have the higher prevalence rate among the at-risk groups.

However, improved access to antiretroviral treatment has resulted in a reduction in mother-to-child transmission from 25 per cent to five per cent.

The Global Fund regional manager for Latin America and the Caribbean, Lelio Marmora, promised that the secretariat would lobby the board of the Global Fund for regional countries that are in a similar position as Jamaica in a bid to try to continue funding support.

nagra.plunkett@gleanerjm.com