Significant Progress Made in Fight Against HIV

Significant progress has been made to end the status of HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) as a national prevailing health threat, says Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn.

Mrs. Cuthbert-Flynn, who was speaking at the opening of the 31st Annual HIV Review and Planning Meeting at the Jewel Grande Resort in Rose Hall, St. James, on November 9, said the tailwinds have been such where it is now possible to reimagine the end of AIDS as a public menace in the foreseeable future.

“In the more than 35 years since HIV/AIDS burst onto the global scene, much progress has been made to end the status of this viral disease as a prevailing public health threat,” the State Minister noted.

“Here in Jamaica, those efforts have included delivery of care, which includes medical, social, psychological and peer support, to enable the people living with HIV to live their best lives; updating guiding documents and facilitation of programmatic reviews; and reducing the barrier to accessing care for our key and vulnerable populations,” she added.

The State Minister said the country’s public health system is moving increasingly towards higher service delivery, hence the reason for the level of renewed optimism that the once dreaded disease is well within the crosshairs of health care providers.

Mrs. Cuthbert-Flynn emphasised, however, that there is zero room for complacency in the battle against HIV.

“Prioritising HIV prevention, care and treatment as well as efforts to provide universal access to treatment and care for persons living with HIV remain a priority of the Ministry of Health and Wellness,” she said.

The State Minister said data from Jamaica’s national HIV programme indicate that patients are accessing and are being retained in care, and that, since 2017, loss to follow-up numbers have lowered considerably.

She also noted that the island has succeeded in improving viral suppression from the low 50s in 2018 to 75 per cent in 2022, and that the prevention of mother-to-child transmission has declined significantly from 5.4 per cent in 2017 to less than one per cent to date.

“Further, the use of data continues to drive interventions at the parish, regional and national levels. Data quality has seen noteworthy upgrading at all treatment sites and the result is an overall progression on the cascade. Of note, too, is the increase in avenues to access care within the public and private arenas,” the State Minister said.

“Our international partners… remain instrumental in accelerating progress toward HIV epidemic control. Through reinforcement of this solid support, we anticipate further improvements of access to quality services for people living with HIV, as we continue working to achieve viral suppression. I commend the UNAIDS Office in Jamaica for its significant work in our national HIV response,” she added.