| KINGSTON, April 6 (JIS): |
 A
sum of $194 million has been allocated in the 2004/05 Estimates of
Expenditure for the HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prevention and Control Programme
in the Ministry of Health.Funded from a grant for the Global AIDS Fund, the allocation is to strengthen the multi-sector national response to prevent and address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Jamaica. This will be done through scaling up efforts to provide anti-retroviral drugs to both children and adults living with HIV/AIDS; promote safer sex practices, including abstinence, especially among sub-populations and marginalized groups who tend to be the most vulnerable; and complete and implement policies and legislative framework, specially addressing stigma and discrimination aimed at people living with HIV/AIDS and vulnerable high risk groups. Under the programme for the fiscal year 2004/05, more than 500,000 teachers and students are expected to be educated through the provision of half a million printed manuals and workbooks. This is in addition to increasing condom access to 100,000 adolescents through the provision of five condom-dispensing machines, and launching public education and sensitization campaign to reach a population of 1.2 million. The programme also expects to target 300,000 of the adult population through four HIV/AIDS media awareness campaigns, as well as educate more than 800,000 persons from the private and public sector about workplace policy. Most importantly, 600 patients will be provided with anti-retroviral drugs, while 200 HIV positive mothers and 200 newborns will receive PCR testing, according to national standards. The programme is expected to start this month and end in March of 2008. |
|
