The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), convened the 27th Meeting of the Executive Board in St Vincent and the Grenadines this week.
The meeting assessed the Partnership’s progress towards the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Syphilis (EMTCT) and the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets – 90 percent of people living with HIV know they have the virus, 90 percent of those who know they are infected to receive sustainable anti-retroviral treatment and 90 percent of those people on treatment to have sustainable suppression of their virus by 2020.
The meeting will also reflect on PANCAP’s achievements; Sharpest regional reduction in HIV incidence by 48.1 percent; Decline in AIDS-related deaths by 55 percent; Anti-retroviral coverage increased to 52 percent from less than five percent of the eligible population in 2001; Virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
The Executive Board will discuss the recent findings of the assessment of PANCAP and CARICOM Council of Human and Social Development (COHSOD), Ministers of Health endorsement of the Board’s decision to pursue Option 2: Streamline and Refocus of the three options identified by the assessment. Specifically, the Board will discuss and agree on the approach to streamlining and refocusing.
The meeting will receive the financial report and updates from the PANCAP Coordinating Unit, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) Centro de Orientacion e Investigacion Integral (COIN) and the OECS Global Fund grants, CARICOM Youth Ambassadors and the Caribbean Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS. Members will also identify the gaps and priorities for greater focus over the next year.
