AIDS
AND THE CARIBBEAN
By Rene Devis, Heritagekonpa Magazine
AIDS
is rapidly spreading throughout the Caribbean Islands and Latin America. Today
there are approximately 1.9 million people living with HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome ) in the region. According to publish reports by United Nations AIDS
agency, more than 350,000 people have acquired the virus in 2002. Each subsequent
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.
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.
In
an effort to address the
growing concern of the Caribbean Diaspora about the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS
on the region and the destabilizing effect caused amongst Caribbean families,
Caribbean People International Collective ( CPIC) will hold its 5th annual "AIDS
WALk Caribbean" on June 11, 2005 in Brooklyn, New York.
Caribbean
People International Collective( CIPC) is a non profit organization that was established
in 1995 to promote "the quality of life of people of Caribbean descent in
the U.S and the Caribbean with an emphasis on health, education and family".
CIPC is made up of 10 Caribbean organizations and companies.
Since
2000, the Caribbean People International Collective professionals have organized
rally to increase AIDS informational awareness campaigns and raise money to help
fight the disease in the Caribbean region.
Millions
of men and woman are at risk of contracting AIDS in the Caribbean and the Diaspora.
The AIDS epidemic crisis is looming in the the Caribeean and abroad. It is important
that you support Caribbean organizations that are working effortlessly to bringing
awareness to AIDS epidemic problems facing the Caribbean Community and Caribbean
Islands. If you think that AIDS is myth within the Caribbean Community, then you
need to take a look at the 2000 statistic provided by the Office of AIDS Surveillance
NYC Department of Health.
