Heritagekonpa Magazine

Rene Devis

Ranard OF CAAF contributes to this report.

Nassau, Bahamas October 10, 2004--The growing HIV/AIDS crisis in the caribbean concerns all of us. There is an urgent need to address the problem now. According to UNAIDS 's reports, more than 350,000 people have acquired the virus in 2002. Each year more and more people are diagnosed with the disease. In 2003, the cumulative number of known HIV/AIDS deaths in the Caribbean were reported to be between 45,000- 80,000.

The Caribbean region has the highest rates of HIV infection outside of Africa and India. Surveillance data from 1991 to 2002 suggests that HIV/AIDS is now one of leading cuase of death in the region.

Among the twelve most affected countries in the region, Haiti has been hit the hardest where estimated adult prevalence is around 6 percent ( Haiti's population is estiamted around 8 millions ). The Bahamas has an adult-prevalence rate of over 3.5 percent, Barbados with 3 percent, Jamaica, Guyana and the Dominican, each with 2 percent. Trinidad and Tobago, have less then 1.5 percent their population infected with HIV virus . The true number of people affected with HIV or AIDS in the Caribbean is under reported. Many more people are living with the virus. And they do not even know that they infected, said experts.a

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 education in the field. 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, and 25 percent of the reported HIV cases are of unknown origin. Caribbean leaders and concerned citizens have an obligation to educate the public about ways to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS.

In an effort to address the growing concerns of AIDS in the region, CAAF ( Caribbean Charity Entertainment Group ) is sponsoring a Caribbean AIDS Awareness festival to be held in Nassau, Bahamas on November 12, 2004. Hailed as the region's biggest "AIDS Awareness Project", the festival is designed to promote and raise awareness on issues such as of STD, HIV and AIDS. One of the key objectives of this 'Festival' is increase the knowledge and skills of HIV, STD and AIDS prevention as well as to decrease the rates of transmission.

The Caribbean AIDS Awareness Festival , which will be held over a three-day period , is in two part. The frist part involves a two-day AIDS conference which is scheduled for November 10th trough the 11th, where AIDS experts will provide information and full-day training ( via separate workshops) for high school students and the general public.

The second part is the Grand Finale, on the night of Friday November 12th, which is a 12 hour Caribbean Concert featuring various artists and individuals from around the Caribbean, Canada, England and The United States. Artists and AIDS vcitims have all agreed to share their experiences with the audience and promote safe practices and healthy life styles. The issues discussed at the Conference will be presented at the concert. Condoms will be promoted and distributed.

The Concert itself is the most critical aspect of this Festival because it is here that most of the information will be disseminated, as the Festival is being filmed by 12 different TV Corporations from around the Caribbean, Canada, The United Kingdom, The United States along with South & Central Americas.

Confirmed artists include Toronto’s Kayte Burgess, whose smooth deliverance of soul and dynamic vocal technique, topped off with a three and a half octave range, engages her listeners in intricate, sultry and fun performances. Gunz and Rosez and Avenue (sisters Theresa Guillemette and Felicia Graham) have also agreed to join the West Indian Entertainment for the Festival. Talks and negotiations are also underway with a variety of artists such as Glenn Lewis.

In the past two weeks, Heritagekonpa staff have attempted to secure one or two Haitian groups to participate in the Caribbean AIDS Festival. So far our efforts have not been successful. Either most of the bands and artists contacted are already in contrat or the band are simply not interested. There are more then 80,000 Haitian living in the Bahamas. They would have loved to see a group representing Haiti in the festival. It is ironical that a number of Haitian artists and/or bands sing about Haiti's misery. However, when the opportunity arises for them to do something constructive for the uplifment of the motherland, they often find lame excuses not to help.

This is the first undertaking of this magnitude in the Caribbean and it is a combined effort by the entire region. There will be participation from countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Turks and Caicos, Barbados, Cuba, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Croix, St. Vincent and the Dominican Republic just to name a few.

Again, the aims of this Caribbean AIDS Awareness Festival are to: