Businesses are urged to support Non-Governmental Organisations, in the local fight against HIV and AIDS. This call came from Executive Director of Artistes in Direct Support, Desiree Edghill, who noted that the NGO’s progammes are being delayed to reduced international funding.
The Executive Director Disiree Edghill explained that the major funding agencies are now looking at the priority countries, since Guyana is no longer listed as a high Pervalence country when it comes to HIV and Aids.
“We have done a lot of work we have seen the fruits of our labour the only bad part is we get to loose the funding cause we don’t need it so much anymore cause our prevalence is not so high and the money that we qualify for before we don’t qualify for now” Edghill said.
She said the funding that is being challenged to Guyana only allows for targeted interventions, primarily to deal with programmes that cater for commercial sex workers, men who have sex with men, and health systems strengthening.
“They want to strengthen the health systems in Guyana so when the funding is offer they are in a position to continue the work especially when the prevention of the mother to child transmission, counseling and testing so that is good the global fund”
Edghill said the organisation is now tasked with finding alternative funding to accelerate its HIV/AIDS prevention and care programme. She also urged businesses in Guyana to support the fight against this epidemic.
Guyana which was listed once as the country with the second highest HIV/Aids rate behind Haiti, is now at number seven. Guyana HIV prevalence rate is currently lower that Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Belize and the Bahamas.
Edghill, said stigma and discrimination have decreased dramatically over the past years, paving the way for widespread awareness about the sexually transmitted disease.
