HIV-AIDS, TB dialogue held

Yesterday morning, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony attended the first session of the HIV- AIDS Tuberculosis Programme Country Dialogue at the Ministry of Health Conference Room located at its Headquarters on Brickdam.

A release from the Ministry of Health said that the country dialogue is an open, inclusive, and participatory process that includes implementers from the public sector, the private sector, civil society, academia, networks of key affected populations including women organizations, people most vulnerable based on the epidemiological context, including people living with the disease, bilateral, multilateral and technical partners and other key stakeholders. The Ministry provided an update regarding the progress of the National HIV-AIDS and Tuberculosis Programmes, including the development of a funding request for ongoing financial support. It also conducted a programmatic self-assessment to identify gaps and proposed interventions to enhance service delivery to the affected population, aiming for quality and efficiency.

Anthony emphasized the importance of achieving viral suppression once treatment begins (for HIV). He highlighted the recent purchase of new equipment valued at approximately US$5000 and the implementation of viral load testing at the national public health Reference Lab.

Anthony also noted that it is important to focus on the core elements of the programme, ensuring patients have access to testing and antiretrovirals (ARVs).

“We’ll need to concentrate on the core elements of the programme which is to make sure that people can have access to ARVs to make sure that they can have access to testing, again we are in the process of transitioning and while most of this programme is now funded by the government of Guyana the remaining parts of it we’ll have to look at how we transition those parts of it so I guess in the discussions that you’ll be having this is something that you have to look more closely at”, Anthony said.

In attendance were Dr Tariq Jagnarine Programme Manager for NAPS; Dr Jeetendra Mohanlall Programme Manager NTP; Nicholas Persaud and other officials from public and private facilities.