The Jamaica HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Project has received $138.9 million as set out in the 2004/05 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives.

The objective of this project is to provide support for selected activities of the National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan. In doing so, the project seeks to assist the government in curbing the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, improving the treatment, care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS, and strengthen the nation’s capacity to respond to the epidemic.

For this fiscal year, the project has set out a number of targets. These include, distributing three million condoms at different intervention sites and 14 STI clinics; the physical upgrading of 14 STI sites to provide comprehensive treatment and counselling; and providing over 200 HIV positive mothers and 200 newborns of HIV positive women with anti-retro viral medication and replacement feeding for six months.

The project is also targeting half a million adults to be reached through four HIV/AIDS media awareness campaigns, and an additional 125,000 persons in inner cities and economically marginalized communities through specific HIV prevention activities.

So far, the project has achieved several targets. Some of these include the intervention with 50 street children and working children facilitated through a non-governmental organization; the procurement of 1.6 million condoms for intervention as well as drugs for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), and 55,000 rapid test kits, for use in the decentralized Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme.

The project is funded by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). It commenced in October 2001 and is expected to be completed in June 2007.

Meanwhile, an allocation of $5 million has been made to Project Inner City (FOCUS), geared towards the prevention and control of drug abuse.
This allocation is to establish the necessary infrastructure within five rural and urban communities, to develop self-sustained, integrated and demand reduction programmes in a concerted effort to effectively reduce the demand for drugs.
The provision is also to facilitate various workshops and to cover administrative expenses.