….through U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Guyana, through the Ministry of Health, has secured US$1.5M under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to support its fight against HIV here.
The U.S. Embassy and the Ministry of Health of Guyana made the announcement on Friday.
The Health Ministry, in a statement, explained that the funding will support the 8,700 people living with HIV in Guyana. It is hoped that with the additional funding, persons living with HIV would have greater access to life-saving medication.
The U.S. Government has provided more than $185 million to combat HIV in Guyana since 2004.
“Through our partnership, Guyana has made significant strides in combatting HIV. The country has diagnosed 94 percent of people living with HIV, surpassing the “first 90” UNAIDS target,” the US and the Health Ministry said in a joint statement.
“PEPFAR is committed to ensuring that all ages, genders, and at-risk populations know their HIV status and receive life-saving HIV services. This means focusing on quality, inclusive, client-centered care – meeting patients where they are, with what they need,” the statement further read.
PEPFAR, the Ministry, and civil society partners intend to work closely together to ensure funds and programmes are targeting key populations, specifically those most affected by HIV. Currently, an estimated 73 percent of Guyanese who know their HIV status are on life-saving antiretroviral treatment, which indicates a need to strengthen linkage to and retention in treatment.
