HIV discrimination in Guyana on the decline

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Discriminatory attitudes towards persons living with HIV have been consistently declining in Guyana, decreasing to as low as 29.4 percent in 2014, after being as high as 86.4 percent in 2000, according to statistics from the recently released 2020 Global AIDS Update.

Guyana is also among a number of countries that are close to achieving the 90-90-90 target for 2020, with 94 percent of affected persons knowing their status, 73 percent of those affected being on treatment and 87 percent of those on treatment achieving viral suppression.

The country’s changed behaviour to persons living with HIV/AIDS was the appraised through a survey conducted interviewing individuals between the ages 15 – 49 years, and was measured based on the respondents’ willingness to purchase vegetables from a shopkeeper living with HIV.
Guyana was one of five Caribbean countries where surveys were conducted, the others being Haiti, Suriname, Belize, and Cuba. Guyana had the second lowest case of discriminatory responses, while Cuba reported the lowest. According to UNAIDs statistics approximately 8700 persons are living in Guyana with HIV/AIDS as at 2019, an increase of approximately 100 new cases more than 2018, and a 30 percent increase from the 6700 cases the country reported ten years prior. Stigma over the disease is considered to be one of the main factors that deters many persons from getting to know their status, as well as seeking treatment for their illness.
Co-founder of Artistes in Direct Support, (AIDS), HIV/AIDs advocate, Desiree Edghill, says that indeed the increase of persons coming forward to get tested, as well as those going on treatment is directly related to the decrease in stigma that the country has experienced. “I would agree because we’re seeing more persons coming to get couples testing before they start a relationship, where before people wouldn’t even want to be seen at a testing site,” Edghill related.

Testing is just one area where persons a less apprehensive when it comes to HIV, Edghill said persons are also less afraid to seek support and help when they test positive. “We have a support group for people with HIV and they come freely and don’t feel anyway about being discriminated against because they don’t feel discriminated,” Edghill noted. Over the years a lot of deliberate effort has gone into educating the public on HIV/AIDS, tearing down the myths surrounding HIV/AIDs, as well as making persons feel more comfortable and reassured in seeking to know their status and get treatment.

“The major thing that has reduced our stigma and discrimination in Guyana is the creation of a stigma and discrimination policy, a code of ethics, and suggestion boxes. These are placed at all testing facilities where people can see them. So persons see the organisation saying, we don’t discriminate, or even if a person feels discriminated against they can talk about the experience in that suggestion box,” Edghill explained.

Edghill noted that there is particular improvement in the attitudes of health care workers dealing with persons who have tested positive for the virus. Through these measures there have been direct results of less discrimination against persons getting tested, which is leading Guyana to being that much closer to achieving the global 90-90-90 goal.
The 90-90-90 is a treatment target launched in 2014 by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and partners, which aims for countries to achieve at least 90 percent of all HIV-positive persons being diagnosed with the virus; of those diagnosed that at least 90 percent receive antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment; and of those being on treatment that 90 percent achieve viral suppression by the end of 2020. Guyana is one of only 14 countries that have already achieved at least 90 percent of HIV positive persons knowing their status, and is closely following on a path to having at least 90 percent of HIV positive persons, who are on treatment, achieving viral suppression.

However with only 73 percent of those affected being on treatment, discriminatory attitudes by Guyanese are still creating a gap between persons who have been diagnosed and those who seek treatment. “Though discrimination has decreased, and we have made significant gains, the fact that it still happens, even in the smallest way it is still a problem,” reason Executive Director of the National Coordinating Coalition Inc (NCC) Simone Sills. Sills says many HIV positive persons in Guyana are still afraid of discrimination within their family setting, with victims being afraid of being seen by family members while taking the medications and so opt instead not to.

Other factors creating the 27 percent disparity between persons testing positive and those on treatment also include economic constraints for some, while for others they make take the medication at first, but have issues with continuing their treatment on the long term.

Globally, achieving the 90–90–90 target will result in a minimum of 73% of people living with HIV having suppressed viral loads. Twelve countries have thus far achieved the 90-90-90 goal. The 90-90-90 is part of a wider plan to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic globally, and will be followed by the 95-95-95 target for 2030. The 95-95-95 would see a minimum of 86% of people living with HIV having suppressed viral loads. Two countries, namely Eswatini and Switzerland, have gone a step further and have already achieved this 2030 goals.

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