AIDS AND THE CARIBBEAN ( June 8 Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day)

By Rene Devis, Heritagekonpa Magazine

AIDS Walk Caribbean On June 8, 2008 Caribbean People International Collective invite you to join the Caribbean AIDS Walk Join us at the intersection of Flatbush and Nostrand Avenue as we walk to Wingate Park. You can Time: 10 AM Register online today at Visit this link at www.aidswalkcaibbean.com to register your walkers. or call 7 map source: Wolrdbank

The U.S Department of Health & Human Services has declared June 8 as "Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. "On this day, Caribbean-American organizations and immigrants across the United States are encouraged to get involved in the fight against AIDS-whether it is through education campaigns, or by getting tested, and/or contacting your local Congress person to get more funds for fighting AIDS in the Caribbean.

Indeed, AIDS is a serious treat to the Caribbean region. According to UNAIDS center "Adult HIV prevalence in the Caribbean is estimated at 1.0% [0.9%-1.2%] in 2007. Prevalence in this region is highest in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which together account for nearly three quarters of the 230 000 [210 000-270 000] people living with HIV in the Caribbean, including the 17 000 [15 000-23 000] who were newly infected in 2007. An estimated 11 000 [9800-18 000] people in the Caribbean died of AIDS in this year and AIDS remains one of the leading causes of death among persons aged 25 to 44 years".

HIV and AIDS!

AIDS was discovered in the 1980's. However, scientists believe the virus existed long before the modern era but is thought to have spread extensively in the 1970's. According to World Health statistic nearly 33.4 million people in the world are infected with HIV today.

HIV, short for "Human Immunodeficiency Virus", is most often contracted through sexual contact. The virus can also be spread through transfusions, contaminated needles, and from mothers to children during pregnancy, childbirth and/or breast-feeding. HIV preferable targets are a group of cells known as T-cells, which are a major component of the body's immune system. Once the virus invades hosting T-cells, it weakens the body’s natural defense system. As the virus continues to replicate, it destroys all T-cells leaving the body vulnerable to common disease. At this stage, the patient is considered to have AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).

Millions of men and woman are at risk of contracting AIDS in the Caribbean and the Diaspora. The AIDS epidemic is looming in the Caribbean and Caribbean Diaspora. Therefore, it is vital that you support Caribbean organizations involved in the fight against AIDS within and across the region.

The Caribbean has the second largest number of HIV cases outside of Africa and AIDS is the leading cause of death among 15 to 44 yearrs-old in the region. The 29 countries of the Caribbean which had an estimated adult HIV incidence of 1 % in 2007 ( global 0.8%, Sub-Saharran Africa 5 %).

Among the twelve most affected countries in the region, Haiti has one of the highest national HIV prevalence with at least 3.8% of an estimated population of 8.3 million); The Bahamas has an adult-prevalence rate of over 3.3 percent; Jamaica, Barbados,, Guyana and the Dominican, are not far behind at 2 percent; and Trinidad and Tobago has just under 2.6 percent of their population infected with HIV virus. In actuality, the number of people affected with HIV or AIDS in the Caribbean is truly under-reported. Many more people are living with the virus and they do not even know they are infected, said experts ( click here to view complete report).

There are several factors which contribute to the development and progression of HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean. These include risky sexual behaviors, poverty, inequality, lack of health care and lack of sex education. Nearly 60 percent of the reported HIV/AIDS cases in the Caribbean are linked to heterosexual sex; 10 percent is attributed to homosexual and bisexual activity; and 25 percent of the reported HIV cases are of unknown origin.