|
|
 |
| TCI NATIONAL AIDS PROGRAMME ATTENDS AIDS CONFERENCE IN MEXICO CITY |
The 17th annual International AIDS Conference: AIDS 2008, that took place in Mexico City Mexico, August 3-8, provided many opportunities for the presentation of important new scientific research and for productive structured dialogue on the major challenges facing the global response to HIV/AIDS.
|
AIDS 2008 was the first International AIDS Conference ever held in Latin America, and with just over 25,000 participants, the conference was sure to make a lasting impact. This year’s theme, “Universal Action Now”, underscores the continued urgency of the pandemic and reminds all of the responsibility they have to take individual and collective action.
The National Aids Programme (NAP) of the Turks and Caicos Islands was in attendance with a delegation of five persons. It included the National AIDS Coordinator, Mrs. Aldora Robinson; two youths from the Rapport, the youth arm of the NAP, President Hezron Henry and Manousheka Desvales, a member; Treatment and Care Nurse Nora Tyndall, and a person living with HIV, who is part of the Persons for Positive Action (PPA).
Mrs. Robinson noted that persons were chosen according to the nature of their involvement. Mr. Henry works with youth; Nurse Tyndall, needed to be updated as to the new interventions of care and treatment with regard to persons living with HIV/AIDS; the representative for PPA focused on new issues and challenges for support of persons living with HIV/AIDS; and whereas she focused on policies and programming.
“I got a lot of information on workplace policy, because we have to put our policies in place as far as work is concerned,” said Mrs. Robinson. “Today, people are not really dying from HIV, people are living longer and move productive lives; so we need to put something in place so that persons are not discriminated against because of their HIV status, and this is one of the areas I want to focus on.”
The conference also provided a wide variety of sessions geared to meet specific needs of various participants and support collective efforts to expand delivery of HIV prevention and treatment to communities worldwide.
The NAP Coordinator said that in respect of her oraganisation, “we were looking for new prevention ideas and efforts for youth and tackling stigma and discrimination, and what was going on regionally and internationally as far as treatment and care was concerned.” Moreover, she noted that central to many of these sessions was the objective of transferring knowledge, and sharing of best practices.
“For scientists, researchers, people living with HIV and professionals working in the field of HIV/AIDS, the conference was an ideal opportunity to meet new colleagues and learn from the experiences of others engaged at the local, national and international levels, ” said Mrs. Robinson.
While in Mexico, they were able to meet key persons in the industry, and learn first hand information. Not only did they sit in on sessions, they were encouraged to participate and dialogue with panelist she added, thus gaining a true insight as to what is going on.
In addition to these sessions, the Coordinator noted that there were a number of activities, including satellite meetings, exhibitions, the global village and the cultural programme, that were integral to delegates’ experience at the conference.
To that end, Mrs. Robinson said that there are two programmes that she sees could potentially being implemented in the TCI. First there is ‘Phone Connect’, which is a network system where the agency contacts the client to ensure that they are more adherent with taking their medication. Second is a programme for youths, ‘Talk on the Block,’ where Rapport will go out into the community and meet youths within their own environment.
“From being there, we were able to generate better ideas and first world experience in what is needed for the Turks and Caicos,” she said, and from this, “we could pattern our strategy better, and learn from their strengths, thus avoiding any wrongs that they have incurred along the way.”
|
| [ 16-10-2008 ] |
|
|
|
