World AIDS Day 2024 Address by Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Terrance M. Drew
“Take the Rights Path- World AIDS Day 2024!”
Today, December 1st, we join the global community in observing World AIDS Day 2024, a day dedicated to raising awareness about preventing and managing HIV and showing unwavering support for individuals living with the virus.
This year’s theme, “Take the Rights Path,” highlights the importance of safeguarding the human rights of those living with or at risk for HIV. By prioritizing these rights, we can work together toward the ambitious goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
For our government, protecting human rights is a fundamental commitment, and we recognize health as a basic human right for everyone. Through the Ministry of Health, we are proud to champion initiatives that ensure access to care, education, and support, empowering all individuals to live healthier and more fulfilling lives.
Everyone in the Federation, has the right to the highest attainable state of physical, mental, and social well-being. This can be achieved through equitable access to quality health care including HIV services at all health facilities on both islands. The MOH endeavors to ensure that such services are available to everyone without stigma and discrimination regardless of socio-economic status, background, HIV status, gender, or ethnicity. All nationals and residents have the right to access the health services they need. “Take the rights path!” – is a call to action for communities and organizations to come on board and partner with the MOH to contain the spread of HIV.
Globally, an estimated 39.9 million (M) persons are living with HIV and 9.3 million (M) persons are still not able to access the life-saving treatment they require. In 2023, 630,000 persons in the world, died of AIDS-related illnesses and 1.3 M were newly diagnosed with HIV. In 2023, an average of 570 young women and girls 15 – 24 acquired HIV daily. In the Federation, an estimated 267 persons are living with HIV. In 2023, 7 persons died of AIDS-related causes and 14 persons were newly diagnosed. Locally, all PLHIVs have access to free life-saving medication. There is an increase in the number of new cases particularly among adolescents and youths between 15 to 24 years. Based on this, the time to act is now.
The National HIV/AIDS program provides the framework that guides the Federation’s response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Our national program is built on three core pillars:
(1) Equity & Human rights – whereby PLHIVs have a right to the highest attainable level of health,
(2) Confidentiality – whereby codes are used to protect patients’ diagnosis and information, and
(3) Service without stigma and discrimination.
The National HIV/AIDS Secretariat and the public health team continue to work assiduously on the sustained implementation of the comprehensive list of interventions aimed at the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS.
These interventions include:
- Scale-up of HIV screening in key populations and vulnerable communities with an average of 3,163 persons being screened annually over the past five years.
- Improved linkage to care – newly diagnosed persons are linked to treatment immediately because testing, early diagnosis and treatment halt the HIV disease process, facilitate longevity, and ensure better health outcomes.
- Sustained availability of free life-saving medications that are accessible to all PLHIVs.
- MOH has improved the offering of more tolerable antiretroviral medications that have better side effect profiles. PLHIVs are more compliant, and more patients are now virally suppressed and enjoy improved life expectancy.
- Provision of social support – whereby MOH’s case manager partners with the Ministry of Social Development to help address the social needs of PLHIVs.
- Rollout of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in key populations with positive reception.
The government of St. Kitts and Nevis continues to cover the cost of HIV testing and life-saving treatment, ensuring that our citizens live healthy and productive lives. We have also expanded human resources within the National HIV/AIDS secretariat, making a significant investment in the very heart of our HIV response. This speaks to the broader vision of strengthening our overall healthcare capacity.
As we approach 2025 and beyond, as Prime Minister, Minister of Health, and importantly, your countryman, I urge you to:
- Be informed and learn about HIV/AIDS and the ways to prevent and protect yourself from this virus.
- Be responsible and protect yourself using a condom or another HIV prevention tool including Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). HIV is a sexually transmitted illness, therefore, avoid casual sex without a condom.
- If having unprotected sex or if you have never had an HIV test, we recommend that you consider including HIV testing as part of your annual checkup.
- If involved in risky sexual behaviour we recommend that you screen for HIV more often.
- If newly diagnosed with HIV, we recommend that you start HIV medication and treatment immediately. We recommend that you adhere to taking medication as prescribed to achieve viral suppression, health, wellness, and improved life expectancy.
- It is recommended that persons living with HIV adopt a healthy lifestyle – by choosing healthy food options, regular exercise, adequate rest, and engaging in fun activities and hobbies. Such persons can live as long as persons without HIV.
- We encourage adolescents and youths to recognize their risk, set healthy boundaries, and use condoms when engaging in casual sex.
The national response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. Together, let us work on protecting the rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS and advance our efforts to end AIDS by 2030.
Thank You!
