KSAMC Advocates for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS

The Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) continues work to eliminate stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS.

In his address at the monthly meeting of the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) on December 13 at the Corporation’s downtown Kingston offices, Mayor of Kingston, Senator Councillor, Delroy Williams, said this remains a priority for the Corporation.

“As Mayor, I recommit to play our part to remove the stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV,” he said.

The KSAMC has partnered with the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to raise awareness and champion the Fast-Track Cities (FAC) initiative.

This initiative is a global partnership between cities and municipalities around the world and the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) and UNAIDS, to fast-track the global targets to end AIDS as a public health concern by 2030. The City of Kingston is one of the cities that participate in this partnership.

The ongoing collaboration between UNAIDS and the KSAMC has produced several contributions to the national HIV response, including the development of a city situational analysis and an online epidemiological profile, which are important instruments that inform the design of HIV-related interventions in Kingston and St. Andrew.

This initiative is intended to tackle stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV in Kingston.

“The City leadership has received commendations both regionally and globally for the effort and I must thank the staff and Councillors here who have been towers of strength and support in this initiative. I must also laud our partners… for their continued support and guidance,” Senator Williams said.

A partnership among UNAIDS, the Jamaican Network of Seropositives (JN+), and the KSAMC has seen the entities working together to create stigma-free spaces.

These are defined as public spaces of gathering, entertainment, business, or worship, where people strive to ensure that stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV do not occur.

Members of the public are sensitised to prevent and identify stigma and discrimination.

As part of this effort, the KSAMC is committed to becoming the first stigma-free space in Kingston and to encourage other entities to participate, with the aim of making the entire city free from stigma and discrimination.

The initiative prioritises the elimination of HIV-related stigma and discrimination with hopes of removing a significant barrier to people living with and affected by HIV accessing and utilising HIV services.