The Urgency of Now: Ending Aids in the Caribbean

The end of the global AIDS pandemic is within reach and if countries can increase preventive measures and treatment, it can be achieved by 2030. According to the joint United Nations Program on H.I.V. and AIDS, UNAIDS, the Caribbean has displayed substantial progress against H.I.V. since 2010, however, AIDS-related deaths continue to be a concern in several countries including Belize. Today, we spoke with Doctor Russell Manzanero, Director of Epidemiology Unit at the Ministry of Health and Wellness to learn how close Belize is to the endeavour.

 

Dr. Russell Manzanero, Director of Epidemiology Unit, MOHW

“The use of the Dolutegravir, which is a newer medication, which is WHO approved and which we are now using at the ministry and rolled out nationally, that has pretty much shown to be effective. So we rolled that out, Dolutegravir, perhaps eighteen months now. So at this time we will, when we look at the data and we look at how the management is, we’re seeing that the individuals who are on that medication are showing a good response. By that, I mean that if they continue to do their regular checkups, we’re seeing that the viral load is going down. Their CD4 is going up. Clinically, they’re looking well. They’re responding well to it. And we see fewer drug resistance with this new medication. Of course, every time the person has to go in for their checkups, it’s the patient, too, that has to take that time to go back and say, okay I need to check on my liver, my kidneys and everything to ensure that everything is okay.  With this, we do believe that in a span of two years, which should be in the next six months or by the end of the year, we should start seeing a decrease in our mortality. Yes, the numbers might still be as weh we dih see right now. But we should start seeing a decrease in immortality. We’re still trying to throw out the messages of prevention. That has not changed. We have gone as far as introduction of prep now for that purpose, just to make sure that individuals are have an ex armor. Besides having a Condom use and all of that, of course, education, desensitization, the political as well. Now, we also have this armory of prevention with prep. Of course, that is to be used among our serial discordant couples. If you’re in that position, but of course, they’re not anybody to take. You still need to go in, have a little talk with your physician, make sure that you’re a candidate, make sure you do the tests and all of that.”