The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance for the region to
focus on and to strengthen Regional Health Security.
That’s according to Director of The Pan Caribbean Partnership against
HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), Dr. Rosmond Adams.
While health security is not a new topic, he said that it has recently
taken on a new urgency for policymakers and public health specialists.
He is of the firm belief that the emergence of communicable diseases
in the region such as Zika, Chikungunya and now COVID-19, along with
natural disasters especially hurricanes and the potential future
challenges from climate change, are all examples of why a Regional
Health Security framework is needed to ensure that the region can
prepare and mitigate against the impact of these threats.
“Regional Health Security consists of the activities required, both
proactive and reactive, to minimise the danger and impact of acute
public health events that endanger people’s health across the region
and international boundaries. It must be noted that Regional Health
Security is not only a public health issue but requires multisectoral
support, collaboration and action.”
As the region’s focus is turned towards containing COVID-19, Dr. Adams
said that HIV continues to be a major global public health issue,
having claimed more than 32 million lives so far.
“The Caribbean has the highest incidence rate of reported AIDS cases
in the Americas. The Caribbean is the second most-affected region in
the world after Africa, with an HIV prevalence of 1.6%,” he said.
“Many challenges continue to complicate HIV control efforts in the
Caribbean. Many People Living with HIV or at risk for HIV infection do
not have access to prevention, treatment, and care, and there is still
no cure. HIV primarily affects those in their most productive years,
and it not only affects the health of individuals, but also impacts
households, communities, and the development and economic growth of
nations.”
PANCAP’s new Director is therefore adamant that the region must not
lose the gains made in the HIV response, “the region is already faced
with severe challenges due to other infectious diseases, natural
disasters, and additional global health and development problems,” he
said.
“However, if we are to ensure that the region is safe and secure, HIV
must be part of the health security agenda. The regional HIV response
must be scaled up. It must provide the highest level of commitment to
ensure that costed, inclusive, sustainable, credible and
evidence-based national HIV and AIDS plans are funded and implemented
with transparency, accountability and effectiveness to safeguard the
sustainability of the national response.”
“The HIV epidemic in the region is far from over. We cannot ignore HIV
or otherwise, we can regress and lose control of the epidemic and the
gains made over the years,” Dr. Adams further stressed. (TL)