Guyana to get US$160K PEPFAR support

Jun 09, 2016 News

Although unplanned and unbudgeted for, the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Public Health is gearing to introduce from October 1, 2016 a Test and Start programme to fast-track its HIV/AIDS response.

Minister Karen Cummings (seated third from right) during the recent meeting in Florida.

To support this venture, the Ministry will be eligible to benefit from a US$160,000 grant from The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which is expected to cater to the procurement of anti-retroviral treatment (ART). The financial support will be a one-off support from PEPFAR
As part of the preparation process, last week Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, travelled to Florida, United States to participate in the PEPFAR Caribbean Regional Operational Programme meeting.
At that forum Minister Cummings was able to deliver a presentation during which she articulated Guyana’s commitment to the programme. She emphasized that although Government is essentially not prepared for it, it remains unremittingly committed to kicking off the programme in October.
The Government of Guyana recognizes the intrinsic value of the Test and Start programme which will be tremendously effective in the significant reduction in new HIV infections and the fast-tracking of treatment. These measures are in line with the 90–90–90 goals of the PEPFAR Caribbean Regional Programme, to ensure that by 2018, some 80 percent of the people living with HIV/AIDS in Guyana are on the Test and Start Programme.
Minister Cummings underscored that while Guyana is willing to absorb some of the costs attached to the programme, it would most graciously welcome support in the one-time funding for anti-retroviral treatment, as well as support with a sustainability plan for finance and costing.
She also highlighted that the Government of Guyana intends to establish and robustly maintain the highest level of transparency and accountability in the efficient and effective management of the programme’s funding.
However, the Government of Guyana has long been exhibiting the right attitude in terms of financing. This was recently amplified by UN Special Envoy to the Secretary General, Dr. Edward Greene. “When we met the Minister of Finance in late January, I must say he was very sensitive to the need to sustain the investment in health and particular in HIV where it is important…” said Dr. Greene.
He pointed out that unlike many other diseases there is no vaccine for HIV thus the need to sustain the support for infected people. This, he noted, is designed to ensure that they remain on affordable medicine even as efforts to educate and emphasise prevention methods are fast-tracked.
“What is a good thing is that your Minister of Finance, unlike some Ministers of Finance, is not saying that we have so many other things to do…there is recognition that unless we sustain the investment in health and HIV/AIDS we will not overcome, but we will increase and reverse the trends,” Dr. Greene underscored.
According to UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, while an estimated sum of US$19.2 billion was made available to low and middle income countries in 2014 to combat HIV, by 2020 it is expected that that amount will have to increase to about US$26.2 billion to achieve the 2030 target of ending the AIDS epidemic.
Moreover, a Fast-track initiative to end AIDS was introduced by the UN.

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