The CARICOM AIDS Secretariat within the ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment commenced two days of workshops today as part of activities to mark World AIDS Day.
The workshops which are being held at the Fisheries Complex in Kingstown, will focus mainly on Stigma and Discrimination.
World AIDS Day is observed under the theme “A Right to Health”.
UNAIDS has launched a new report showing that access to treatment has risen significantly.
In 2000, only 685 000 people living with HIV had access to antiretroviral therapy.
By June 2017, around 20.9 million people had access to the life-saving medicines.
UNAIDS said such a dramatic scale-up could not have happened without the courage and determination of people living with HIV demanding and claiming their rights, backed up by steady, strong leadership and financial commitment.
Global HIV Statistics have shown that 76.1 million people have become infected with HIV since the start of the epidemic, while 35 million of those have died from AIDS-related illnesses.
1.8 million People became newly infected with HIV in 2016 and of that figure 1 million died from the disease.
The workshops are expected to end tomorrow.
