Dominica is among 13 Caribbean countries on track to be certified as having eliminated HIV transmission from mothers to children, according to UNAIDS Caribbean.
As a matter of fact Dominica is one of many Caribbean countries to not have an HIV-positive baby on record in the last four to ten years, but the documentation must finalised, the organization said.
“Over the last decade, countries have successfully increased access to antiretroviral medicines during pregnancy and empowered women to make informed decisions about their health and that of their children,” UNAIDS said in a release to mark World AIDS Day 2014. “National validation processes are underway throughout the region to confirm reported rates, making it likely that by 2015 a Caribbean country will be the first in the world to announce that it has ended HIV transmission to babies.”
“This region was the first to eliminate polio and measles,” UNAIDS Caribbean Regional Support Team Director, Dr. Ernest Massiah said. “These successes would not have been possible without political commitment. We need the same will to end mother to child HIV transmission. The question is which country will be first.”
According to UNAIDS before treatment was available, “at least one in four babies born to HIV positive women in many Caribbean countries was infected with HIV.”
“Today Anguilla, Barbados, Cuba, Guyana, Montserrat and St. Kitts and Nevis all have shown that they have reached the elimination target of below two percent transmission.” the organization said. “Bonaire, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts & Nevis and St. Maarten have not had an HIV positive baby on record in the last four to ten years, but must finalise their documentation.”
UNAIDS said the Bahamas, Jamaica and Suriname currently have transmission rates between two and five percent. Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago lag behind with more than five percent of children born to mothers living with HIV becoming infected. The Dominican Republic, Grenada and St. Lucia have insufficient information.
“No child living in the Caribbean should be born with HIV,” Massiah stated. “We must look carefully at how we can protect and empower women so that they go to clinic early, get tested, get treated and follow-up with their babies.”
UNAIDS said there must be a focus on young women and men who have sex with men to close the gap and end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
“Ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 is possible, but only by closing the gap between people who have access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services and those who are being left behind,” the organization stated in its release. “In the Caribbean more must be done to prevent HIV among young women, sex workers and men who have sex with men. Those already living with HIV must also be able to access the services they need.”
World AIDS Day is observed today, December 1.
The progress in the Caribbean is an example to the whole world.
One hopes that an effort is being made by the other islands to learn the preventive treatment technique from the medical professionals in Cuba and that the Cubans share what they know.
I also cannot help wonder why it should take fifteen more years for another island to be declared transmission free if Cuba has already reached this goal. Of course there are reasons. It is just that the public is not being given this information.
People could avoid the problem altogether if they would commit to the moral code for sexuality God has given us in the New Testament which is abstinence before marriage and chastity after marriage. HIV/AIDS would disappear from the earth within a generation.
There should be laws governing the sexual activities of those who have tested positive for HIV or any other sexually transmitted disease. If this sounds harsh it is not as harsh as AIDS.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill,…
Satan is really busy at work in the final days..
Many folks do not see the bigger picture behind it all..But for sure,it’s rapidly coming to an end,and all the works of men that took place in the dark will be brought to light for all to see…This disease is all about money.The greed of men that’s slowly dragging the world down. And so, whilst yes the disease is real,there is so much more behind of it that many are not aware off. And it’s for that reason that I say, some day in the not to distance future the deeds of men that went on in the dark must be brought to light for all to see.
In the mean time, carry on guys but you’ll day is fast approaching.
Great work. But people too busy with politics to comment. Smh
Great work. But people too busy with politics to comment. Smh
Great…women keep getting tested while pregnant. For the sake of your unborn