naps newsletter oct-dec 2014

8/9/2019 NAPS Newsletter Oct-Dec 2014

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Guyana

Programme Manager: Dr. Shanti Singh-Anthony Volume 1 Issue 4

October - December, 2014

Departments and Staff appreciatedfor outstanding support

The Naonal AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) has registered

a total of 5034 paents in its programme with 4274 of those

paents accessing an-retroviral (ARVs) drugs. This was stated by

Programme Manager Dr. Shan Singh as she addressed awardees

and invitees to the annual NAPS Appreciaon Ceremony held on6th December, 2014 at the Hermanston Lodge.

She said the numbers indicate that the HIV treatment programme

has been working progressively all year in caring for persons with

the virus. Thus, she said the virus no longer poses a threat, but

facilies normal life for those infected. Dr. Singh disclosed that

these tests could not have been possible without persons being

Pg 2 World AIDS Day walk 2014 attracted hundreds ofparticipants

Pg 3 NAPS hosts Film Festival to mark World AIDS Day, 2014

Pg 3 Painting of an AIDS Mural- An AIDS Free Generation

Pg 4 PANCAP/CARICOM makes signifcant donation to the FoodBank

Pg 4 “90-90-90” – The New Global Targets for the HIVContinuum of Care

IN THIS ISSUE

News A quarterly newsletter by the National AIDS Programme Secretariat

Ministry of Health

encouraged to get tested and know their status. She said a tota

of 26,028 tests were done at the 58 tesng sites around Guyana

including the tests done through the Prevenon of Mother to

Child Transmission (PMTCT) blood screening programme.

“Tesng connues with greater emphasis on reaching the key

groups on detecng HIV posive cases.” These are Sex Worker

and Men who have sex with men (MSM). The Programme Manage

used the opportunity to thank a number of organizations fo

enabling the tesng and treatments as they all unite in the gh

against AIDS.

A total of eight awards were given out that evening by the

Secretariat, six individuals and two departments. Among them, a

special award was given to Mr. Keith Burrowes former Execuve

Director of the Health Sector Development Unit (HSDU). He wa

recognized for his work with the Secretariat and for successfully

negoang grants of the Global Fund for the control of HIV, TBand Malaria.

Departments in the Ministry of Health, Finance and Personne

were awarded for their critical support to the work of the

Secretariat. Individual awards went to Ms. Dolly Stanford, Ms

Elizabeth Mc Almont, Mr. Ray Chance, Ms. Leslyn Roberts and Mr

Totaram Hansraj.

Recipients o the NAPS Appreciation Awards: rom lef: TotaramHansraj, Dolly Stanord, Elizabeth Mc Almont, Ray Chance, Ms. MeyersVishnu Tularam & Mr. Keith Burrowes. Center: Dr. Shanti Singh &Minister Ramsaran.


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World AIDS Day walk 2014 attractedhundreds of participantsThe annual walk held on Sunday 30th November under the

theme: “An AIDS free Generation- closing the gap, reducing

inequies, reaching those in need” saw over 200 parcipants.

These comprised of staff from Parliament Officer, Guyana

Forestry Commission, Ministry of Labour, Cacitelli & Associates,

Eureka Medical Laboratory, Guyana Business Coalion on HIV/

AIDS, Guyana Defence Force, Qualfon, Peace Corps Guyana,

PAHO/WHO, APC, USAID/PEPFAR, US Embassy, UNDP/UNAIDS,

Ministry of health sta among others.

The walk commenced at the 704 car park, Lamaha and Albert

Streets. Participants walked through the community of

Queenstown and Campbellville and Kiy and culminated in the

Naonal Park. There, members of the Faith Community indulgedthe participants in words of prayers. This was followed by

presentaons from the Programme Manger of NAPS, Dr. Shan

Singh, UNAIDS Country Director Dr. Roberto Campos, PEPFAR

Coordinator Ms. Stephanie Joseph De Goes and Minister o

Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran.

Participants at the World AIDS Day walk


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NAPS hosts Film Festival to markWorld AIDS Day, 2014

Painting of an AIDS Mural- An AIDS

Free Generation

As part of the many acvies held to observeWorld AIDS Day 2014, the Naona

AIDS Programme brought together close to 1000 school children from region 4 at a

Film Fesval to inform and educate them about the origins of the AIDS epidemic. The

Film Fesval which was held at the Naonal Cultural Centre on 25 & 26 November

showed an American docu drama tled: “And the Band Played on”. This is the story

of the rst years of the AIDS epidemic in the United States and focuses on three key

elements of reacons from the scienc community, the US government and CDC

and the gay community.

Aer the viewing of the movie, the students asked numerous quesons which were

answered by NAPS sta and Peace Corps Volunteers. Students from 10th and 11th

grades were in aendance from 18 schools around Georgetown.

As part of the World

AIDS Day observances,

the painng of an

AIDS mural was

undertaken at the

Naonal Park with the

message: “An AIDS

Free Generaon”.

An exerciseundertaken by theRed Ribbon YouthGroup

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Contact us

National AIDS Programme SecretariatHadfield Street and College Road,

Werk-en-Rust, Stabroek, Georgetown

Phone: 592-226-5371. Fax: 592-223-7140

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Corbin Media Group, Inc.50 BB | Eccles | East Bank Demerara | Guyana

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PANCAP/CARICOM makes signifcantdonation to the Food Bank

“90-90-90” – The New Global Targets

for the HIV Continuum of Care

On the occasion of World AIDS Day 2014, PANCAP/CARICOM

donated for the second consecutive year, food stuff worth$150,000 to the Food Bank of the National AIDS Programme

Secretariat.

The Food Bank, one of the components of the naonal program

has been able over the last eight years of its existence, oered

and connues to oer crical nutrional support to PLHIV. As of

December 2014, the Food Bank has been able to distribute 3689

food hampers to 901 new paents, (HIV, TB Infected and those

co-infected with HIV).

This has now brought us a total of 8083 paents (HIV, TB infected

and HIV/TB co-infected) to have accessed the Food Bank during

the years 2007 – 2014 across all regions of Guyana. A total of

28,474 Food Hampers have been distributed since 2007 -2014

thus far.

“90-90-90” were the new global targets set in the ght against

HIV when representatives of WHO, UNAIDS and other key

agencies met at a global target seng meeng in Mexico in June

2014. This new goal means that by 2020: 90% of all people living

with HIV will know their HIV status: 90% of all people diagnosed

with HIV infecon will receive sustained anretroviral therapy

and: 90% of all people receiving anretroviral therapy will have

viral suppression.

Under the theme “The HIV Connuum of Care and the 90-90-

90 Strategy”, the Ministry of Health through the Naonal AIDS

Programme Secretariat (NAPS), held a two-day workshop at

the Grand Coastal Inn on 27th and 28th December 2014 to

idenfy barriers and develop strategies for achieving the new

targets. The overall objecve of the workshop was to contribute

to the expansion and sustainability of the HIV response and in

parcular commit to comprehensive care, in partnership with

all stakeholders, based on agreed upon strategies to reduce the

number of new infecons and to achieve the highest quality of

care with sustained viral suppression.

In aendance at the workshop were y four (54) parcipants

taken from the various regions of Guyana.

Key points discussed included need to increase access to tesng

and treatment for key populaons and the proposed shi from

Parallel Tesng to Serial Tesng, the quality of post test counseling

and the need to personalize referrals in linking newly diagnosed

clients to treatment was also especially emphasized.

Viral load tests every six months in detecng treatment failure

and serving as a guide in changing treatment regimens was also

idened as crucial.

Caricom Assistant Secretary General, Dr. Douglas Slater hands overone o the several gifs to Mr. Somdatt Ramessar, Food Bank Manager,NAPS.

Caricom Secretary General share a moment with staff o Caricom andNAPS as the handing over ceremony.

naps newsletter oct-dec 2014

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