AIDS Discrimination Prevalent In the Caribbean By BBC - Caribbean January 31, 2007 ........................................................................................................................................ Officials attending a Caribbean summit on HIV and AIDS have warned that widespread ignorance about the disease is undermining efforts to fight the spread of the virus in the region. The Caribbean remains the area with the second highest rate of HIV AIDS infection after sub-Saharan Africa. The health officials claim that discrimination by employers and others in the region against people infected with the AIDS virus is so pervasive that people often delay seeking treatment. Speaking at the summit in St. Croix, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Health Minister Douglas Slater called for a change in attitudes. Homophobic "It's going to be a political challenge because, unfortunately, we live in a society that is very homophobic." "It's something we are going to have to overcome," he said. "To the extent that the islands have sought to make it as easy as possible for people coming from the United States to visit the Caribbean … then this places an obstacle in the way of travel." Also speaking at the meeting was US Congressman Donald M. Payne, a Democrat from New Jersey who co-chairs the Congressional Caribbean Caucus. He said Caricom has not secured enough international funding for prevention and treatment. "Unfortunately, we live in a society that is very homophobic." St. Vincent and the Grenadines Health Minister Douglas Slater "Caricom needs to step up to the plate and demand these federal funds," Mr. Payne said. The conference was organised by the Inter- American Economic Council. It's president Barry S. Featherman reported that in 2005 an estimated 24,000 people died in the Caribbean from AIDS-related complications, making it the leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 44. An estimated half a million people - or 2.4 percent of the Caribbean population - carry the AIDS virus. That figure excludes Cuba which has a relatively low rate of infection due to testing and prevention programs. Economic impact Officials have said that regional studies have shown that businesses that invest in HIV prevention programs save money by reducing health care costs and having more productive workers. However Mr. Payne said that there have not been increased efforts to educate the population on prevention and treatment. Studies carried out by the University of the West Indies have shown that failing to slow the spread of the disease will deeply affect regional economies. It says this is because those infected tend to be younger people who make up a large part of the Caribbean's work force. Albert Ramdin, Assistant Secretary-General of the Washington-based Organization of American States, agrees. He said, "This (pandemic) has major implications for governance, national security, human security and the economic viability of many of these countries whose resources are already stretched." latest news Jamaica Police Investigages Scam British Prime Minister Sorry for Slavery CARICOM Issues Explored Angllicans Face Difficult Summit Trinidadian Carnival Exodus New Caribbean Program Premiers on NY TV Exemption for Antigua Nurses More Complaints About CARICOM Grenada Goofs: Anthem Mixup Windies Selectors to Mull Over CWC Squad More Cricket World Cup Semis Tickets on Sale JA Airport Revamp Won't Be Ready for Cup Celebrating Bob Marley with Food & Fashion CARICOM Single Space Travel Begins Caribbean Tops Prisoner's List AIDS Discrimination in the Caribbean Whaling Showdown Likely Record Year for Global Tourism Five Killed by Jamaican Police Four Dead in Haiti UN Operation   | | | | |