2011 National Week of Testing…Organisers say plans apace to record highest success rate

Sep 14, 2011 News

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Each year the fight against HIV/AIDS gains ground as more and more people learn their status, become educated about the disease and make lifestyle choices aimed at minimizing its spread.
One of the tools that has made these strides possible, is access to stigma-free testing at centres all across the country. Now with less than a month to go before what is arguably the largest testing drive each year, the Ministry of Health and its National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) have geared up to make this year even better.
According to a release issued by the Public Relations team for National Testing Week, “plans are moving apace to ensure that this year’s activity records the highest success rate ever.”
The activity is now in its fifth year and according to the release it “has become the largest public health initiative of the Ministry of Health/National AIDS Programme Secretariat and continues to reach new heights.” This year’s theme is ‘Confidential and Reliable: Get Tested Now.’
National Testing Week will be observed from October 3-7.
Yesterday the Steering Committee met to iron out the kinks of this year’s activities and to present plans to the Chair of the Oversight Committee, Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy.
Among the usual temporary centre setups; Regions One, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten and parts of Region Two – where Tuberculosis and Malaria are prevalent – will be also offering testing for these two diseases along with HIV during National Testing Week. Even before the week of testing, a large number of key activities are to be conducted .These will be facilitated by the various sub committees which include Public Relations, Procurement, Mobilization, Logistics and Quality Assurance.
According to the release, since its launching in 2007, “National Testing Week has emitted a complementary response from the Guyanese populace and continues to improve.” Last year, in excess of thirty-five thousand persons accessed testing throughout the ten administrative regions of Guyana at more than five hundred testing sites. In 2009 that figure stood at 27,365 and in 2008, 15,724.
In 2010, the Minister said of the completed exercise, “I am delighted that the Guyanese people took up the challenge and took our advice that knowing our HIV status is very important.” Last year’s National Week of Testing also surpassed the Caribbean Week of Testing which netted a total of 8,000 persons Caribbean-wide in a testing campaign spearheaded by Scotiabank and PANCAP.
According to the Minister, Region Six recorded 12,100 tests in 2010, retaining its position as the most productive Region for the second consecutive year, in this regard. The total number of persons that tested positive that time around was 218, according to the Minister, representing a prevalence of about 0.7 percent. This percentage, the Minister said, corresponds with the 2010 UNAIDS/WHO report which listed Guyana as having an HIV prevalence of about 1.2 percent.
“The results of the National Week of Testing is concurring that there has been a reduction of the HIV prevalence cases in Guyana over the years. The UNAIDS/WHO Report used to traditionally, around 2000-2001, report a prevalence of three to five percent.”
The Health Ministry’s PMTCT (preventing mother-to-child transmission) data for this year is showing about one percent and other studies, according to the Minister, are showing between 0.7 and 1.1 percent. Ramsammy revealed that there have been almost 350,000 tests carried out over the three-year period from 2007 to 2010.
A true community initiative, the personnel of the testing centres are by and large volunteers coming from every area of the Private and Public Sector with support given by health workers. The line ministries, private sector organizations, faith-based groups and civil society have all been called upon to give their support to the initiative.
Despite all of the praise the Minister had for the event last year, he did point out that there was at least one area which was in dire need of improvement. He noted last year that the 15 to 19 age group is not showing a reduction in infection rates, although there is no evidence that there has been an increase in the prevalence of the disease.
On that occasion the Minister said “In all the other population groups and at-risk groups we see a gradual reduction in the incidence rate, but there is persistence in the number of young people that are newly infected. The 15-19 age group is an area of concern for Guyana…for me the most at-risk group is the adolescent age group.”
Last year Ramsammy asserted that the onus is on the Ministry to accelerate its prevention effort among this age group, it remains to be seen what initiatives and efforts will be put in place to deliver on this promise.

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