Great Bay: ----HIV/AIDS Programme Manager Suzette Moses-Burton recently returned from the European Union planning and launches meeting in Curacao, which was held on June 25 and 26 at the Hilton.
The purpose of the meeting in Curacao was to officially launch the EC/OCT project; review the implementation and results of the first year and to identify priority issues and activities for inclusion in the second year work plan.
Suzette stated that on day one attendees to the meeting looked at the logical framework with all indicators, reviewed year one activity, and were given an update of the project as it relates to where it is at this moment. Year two for the project starts in October 2009 and ends September 2010.
During the planning meeting all focal points from the 11 countries made additional comments, and raised the necessary issues regarding the project for year two for submission to the Steering Committee.
“The Dutch territories made specific recommendations, which were to reduce the number of indicators, and to change some of the indicators based on the situation of the Dutch territories as opposed to the British territories, which is not the same,” said Moses-Burton.
One of the indicators, which was: By December 2011, there will be 50% reduction in new HIV infections (Baseline: new infections in 2007) was revised to: By September 2013 there will be a 50% reduction in the reported number of new infections.
During the two day meeting, persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) met with stakeholders to discuss community involvement in the project. All changes were submitted to the Steering Committee for approval.
A few of the activities planned for year two is:
• Document the [RED] Campaign as a best practice
• Increase the involvement of PLWHA in prevention activities
• Lobby for increased access to improved care including psycho-social support
• Conduct integrated behavioral survey among hard to reach population (men who have sex with men/commercial sex workers)
“Strengthening the Integration of the British and Dutch OCTs in the Regional Response to HIV/AIDS through the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS” is the title of this European Union Project.
