Head of the National HIV Response Unit, Julie Frampton, has reported a 100 percent success rate in babies born healthy to HIV positive mothers.
She credits the introduction of anti-retroviral drugs which she said has made a major difference since its introduction five years ago, for that achievement.
She added that 95 percent of pregnant women come forward for testing.
Frampton also indicated that people with the virus in Dominica live happy and productive lives because of the drugs. “We have 100 percent survival over the last 2 years and the deaths which occur are people who never come forward for treatment or came too late,” she said.
She indicated that stigma and discrimination are major challenges faced by her unit.
She described it as an ‘epidemic within the epidemic.’ “Stigma and discrimination prevent people from coming to get tested and receive treatment. 72 percent of reported cases of HIV are men and we continue to see them not coming forward to receive treatment because of stigma and discrimination. Therefore we are calling on all men to come forward on November 29 to get tested,” Frampton urged
Another challenge being faced, according to Frampton, is the introduction of policies concerning HIV. She said policies must be put in place to protect those with the virus as well as those without it.
This says something about the terrible ignorance that prevails.
More must be done to educate the public about how HIV is spread for two reasons. (2) To prevent people from becoming infected. (2) To stop the cruel bias that comes from unrealistic ideas about how the disease is spread.
More people would get tested if they could be sure that their visit to the clinic AND the results of their test would be kept strickly confidential.
As an Assemblies of God minister I am opposed to certain behavior that is often responsible for the spread of HIV. But when a person has become infected with the virus how they contacted it is not the issue. Every effort whould be made to fight the disease and help the patient.
When a person has been tested positive nobody has
any business to ask how they became infected unless it is medically necessary. No information should ever excape the clinic that would make it difficult for the patient to finish his or her education, obtain employment, or get proper housing.
These things are not suppose to happen. But the person getting tested should know they are not going to happen, and be able to trust the system.
Julie Lillie, it makes me angry to hear of that kind of discrimination in your part of the country especially coming from people who should have been the champions of civil rights.
Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Pentecostal Evangelist.
persons have to realise that u cannot tell if someone is H.I.V positive, we walk, talk, live with persons who have it, so folks get tested, and those who are positive take ur medicication..it will save u and do not go around giving it to other persons….it can be kept private as well, but I think to persons get scared…DO NOT Discriminate..
If most men have AIDS then you know.
stigma and discrimination will remain with us untill we accept the fact that H.I.V. is like any other condition like DIABETES,CANCER, HYPERTENTION AND will be treated likewise
So true, liked your statement
hats off to julie ,desabye,mary and the other staff at the unit, your hard work is paying off u guys deserve to be congratulated on job well done.