NASSAU , The Bahamas— Minister of Health Sen. the Hon. Marcus Bethel said Tuesday (June 7) that United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has commended The Bahamas for its National AIDS Program’s successful response to the epidemic.
Minister Bethel said Mr. Annan recognized The Bahamas’ effort during an address to the special General Assembly high-level meeting on HIV/ AIDS on Thursday, June 2, in New York.
Minister Bethel told a press conference at the Ministry of Health on Meeting Street that in addition to The Bahamas, the efforts of Brazil, Cameroon, Kenya, Zambia, Cambodia and Thailand were also recognized by the UN Secretary General.
‘This recognition in the General Assembly at the United Nations by Mr. Annan is a great accomplishment and is evidence of the quality of the 20 years of work by all involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS in The Bahamas,’ Minister Bethel said.
He noted that in 2004, more persons became infected with HIV and more persons died from AIDS worldwide than ever before.
‘The epidemic continues to expand and out pace countries responses,’ Minister Bethel said.
Dr. Perry Gomez, director of National HIV/AIDS Program, said the program’s success has been previously recognized and documented by the Caribbean Epidemiological Centre (CAREC) and the World Health Organization in its Annual Report 2004 entitled, ‘Changing History and the Clinton Foundation.’
Dr. Gomez also refuted media reports that The Bahamas stands first in the region in the number of HIV/ AIDS cases. He said The Bahamas ranks fourth. He warned that The Bahamas still has a lot more work to do in terms of reducing its ranking in the region as it relates to HIV and AIDS.
‘The program made outstanding achievements, which includes widespread community awareness and knowledge of HIV/AIDS, decrease in prevalence of HIV from six per cent to three percent, success in scaling up treatment and care (over 1,700 persons in full therapy up to March, 2005), prevention of mother to child transmission (from 30 per cent to less than two per cent in 2004) and decrease in the number of AIDS deaths from 309 in 1997 to 113 in 2004,’ said Dr. Gomez.
Minister Bethel also saluted its National AIDS Program, especially its Public Health nurses, physicians, volunteers, Samaritans, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the AIDS Foundation, All Saints Camp, private sector partners, including Imperial Life, Kerzner International and Clinton Foundation for their significant contributions.
