NAPS launches “Know Your Status” campaign

The “Know Your Status” Guyana campaign, which aims to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, was launched by the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS). The concept serves as part of promoting the World AIDS Day theme ‘Know Your Status’ which is to be observed on December 1.
The campaign is set towards reaching the UNAIDS 90/90/90 target, which is to diagnose 90 per cent of all HIV-positive persons, provide antiretroviral therapy for 90 per cent of those diagnosed, and achieve viral suppression for 90 per cent of those treated by 2020.
Programme Manager at NAPS, Dr Rhonda Moore, said Guyana is on the move towards attaining such an achievement.
“At the end of 2017, Guyana was recorded as having an estimated 8215 persons living with HIV that equated to a prevalence of 1.6 per cent of the population. Of that amount, 7100 were aware that they were HIV positive, 5237 were receiving sustained treatment and 3414 were found to be virally suppressed. This, in essence, left us at 86 per cent for the first 90, 74 per cent for the second 90 and 65 per cent as it relates to the third 90,” Dr Moore is quoted by the Department of Public information (DPI) as saying.
As NAPS puts preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS infection on top of the agenda, it is appealing to key groups to be tested, especially men since in most cases, they test positive. Moore also called for certain barriers such as discrimination, marginalisation, and violence to be removed so as to allow greater access to treatment for HIV.
NAPS is seeking to take on a more community-based approach in rolling out this campaign, even as the campaign will run for a three-month period and will take on the form of a number of public sensitisation engagements, where persons will be provided with the opportunity to be tested for HIV/AIDS. Some of these activities would include school essay competitions, an awareness walk, school sensitisation, temporary testing sites and mobile testing being done in Georgetown. Additionally, health facilities have been earmarked to initiate counselling and testing and can be accessed in Kitty, Campbellville, Beterverwagting and Dorothy Bailey Health Centre’s, the Enmore Polyclinic, the Cheddi Jagan Dental School and the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.
UNAIDS Country Director to Guyana and Suriname, Dr Martin Odiit, explained that too many people still die from HIV-related illnesses in spite of treatment made available. On this note, he encouraged couples to get tested by indicating that it is in the best interest of both partners.
“Globally new infections are not declining fast enough and too many people still dieing from AIDS-related illnesses despite the availability of high quality and effective treatment, so I am saying we know what to do when somebody is HIV positive and alas some people are still not getting the treatment because of societal pressures.”