Men Urged to Play Greater Role in Reducing HIV/AIDS

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Reginald Budhan, is encouraging males to play a greater role in helping to minimise the spread of HIV/AIDS, given the vast majority of women infected with the disease.

“In taking care of our women, the first responsibility is us  (males) – use the necessary protection. The second responsibility is to stand by your woman; stick to one faithful partner. The third responsibility is to ensure there are no new infections. And, I want to balance that by encouraging our females – do the right thing,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary was speaking at a World AIDS Day observance ceremony, held at  the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, in Kingston, today (December  2).

Mr. Budhan informed that worldwide, 64 per cent of people aged 15 to 64 living with HIV today are females.

“In the Caribbean, women are the more affected group, accounting for 53 per cent of people living with HIV. The Caribbean is the only region, besides sub-Saharan Africa, in which more adult women than men are living with HIV. In 2010, an estimated 53 per cent of adults living with HIV were women, a proportion that has remained steady since the late 1990s,” he said.

Mr. Budhan encouraged individuals, particularly males, to get tested, given the fact that females are more inclined to get tested.

“It really makes no sense not knowing your status. HIV infection is wholly preventable if timely action is taken. If workers living with HIV are placed on effective treatment, they can continue leading a normal productive life for many years. HIV positive people pose no risk to their co-workers, although we still have a lot of work to do in getting more people to appreciate that basic fact,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary  said the Ministry is fully supportive of the HIV/AIDS Workplace Programme and the efforts to develop clear guidelines to create greater   awareness,  reduce and eliminate  stigma related to HIV/AIDS at the workplace.

“HIV/AIDS is a major workplace issue impacting both employees and employers and can be extremely devastating on families, businesses and our economy. Together, however, we can make a difference,” he said, adding that all have a vital role to play in reducing the impact of HIV and AIDS, not only at the workplace but throughout the entire society.

World AIDS Day was observed on December  1, 2011 under the theme: ‘Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections.  Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS related deaths’.

The observance ceremony was a collaborative effort among the Ministries of Industry, Investment and Commerce; Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; and Energy and Mining.

By Chris Patterson, JIS Reporter