Maho:--- The members of PANCAP have been preaching since the opening of their 10th Annual meeting that one of the hurdles they need to cross is the discrimination and stigma against people suffering from HIV/AIDS. They said the time has come for countries around the world to stop criminalizing prostitution and homosexuality so that those infected would come to the forefront and receive treatment. Based on those sentiments SMN News interviewed the Prime Minister of St. Kitts Denzil Douglas on the role of the church with PANCAP.
The churches within the Caribbean nation are somewhat insensitive towards people living with HIV/AIDS over the years and the time has come for the churches to move from a state of condemnation to a state of realization says Prime Minister of St. Kitts Denzil Douglas. Speaking to SMN News on Monday the Prime Minister said that there are certain practices that people are engaged in and if they are not encouraged to protect themselves and the rest of society then they can infect others.
The Prime Minister said that PANCAP wants to work with the churches. However, they also want the church to understand that it is a reality that if persons are vulnerable and are not encouraged to moving forward to receive the appropriate treatment and protecting themselves and others then the HIV/AIDS disease would continue to spread.
Prime Minister Douglas said the churches also need to understand that the HIV/ AIDS disease is not a condemnation from God. They also must believe that all people can become engaged in practices that can cause them to become infected with the HIV/AIDS virus, thus they are seeking for the churches to work with them to tackle a major social problem which is no longer a health problem. He said HIV/AIDS can cause social developmental problem that can cause destruction of the human race. The Prime Minister said the church and society must work together if they are to rid themselves of this epidemic.
Asked if PANCAP has ever tried to reach out to the churches, the Prime Minister said he personally spoke to several church leaders who would engage him whenever he returns home from conferences such as the one taking place on St. Maarten. Prime Minister Douglas said he was even asked if he is supporting homosexuality and prostitution. He said he has explained on a number of occasions that this epidemic is not about supporting homosexuality or prostitution but it is speaking out as a leader of a country and organization against the spread of HIV/ AIDS and what needs to be done to combat the epidemic.
Asked if PANCAP is putting too much focus on HIV/AIDS while other deadly diseases and people suffering from those diseases are being neglected. The Prime Minister said it is his belief that people suffering from other diseases are getting the same attention and support as those with HIV/AIDS. He said they also believe that the church is right in preaching that sex should be avoided before marriage. However, the church also needs understand that even married people are being infected with HIV/AIDS. He said as much as they would want all human beings to be Christians and not commit fornication and adultery or have premature sex they have to live with the reality that sex is taking place and they have a duty to ensure that those engaged in sexual activity do what is necessary to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Prime Minister Denzil Douglas said that criminalizing homosexuality and prostitution drives people to further engage in these activities underground. Asked if he believes the attention given to HIV/AIDS has skyrocketed the cost for treatment. Douglas said that is far from the truth. He said PANCAP is the one organization that brought the pharmaceuticals together and forced them to decrease the prices for the antiviral treatment. He said PANCAP even threatened these companies that if there was not a reduced pricing for HIV/AIDS medication then they were going to boycott certain companies in different countries. He said he believed that due to the campaign against HIV/AIDS has caused the prices of medicine to drop which forced the pharmaceuticals companies to lose billions of dollars. He said however, that he believes that these companies would make more monies if they are to continue the research for a vaccine which would prevent HIV/AIDS virus. He said right now it's only those that are infected with the virus are using the antiviral but should there be a vaccine then each and every person would use it as a preventive measure.
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