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New HIV/AIDS Programme Targets Transportation Sector


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Monday, April 2, 2007 – The St. Lucia Planned Parenthood Association and the Basic Needs Trust Fund are targeting the taxi and mini-bus sectors, in a quest to better empower St. Lucians with information on the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Representatives of all stakeholders sealed an agreement Monday that facilitates the commencement of the programme, which will see taxi and mini-bus operators participate in train the trainers workshops and other on-site activities.

Chairman of the Basic Needs Trust Fund and Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Transformation Dr. Augustin Charles said most of the activities will be conducted on local mini-bus and taxi stands, mainly because of the nature of the two sectors.

“We did some research in the area and we realised that there is a strong need to do those types of projects. The mini-bus sector is a very critical sector; they reach a multitude of persons and we can use them as a platform for dissemination and for education, whether it be through the drivers themselves or through them handing out important literature,” he said.

Executive Director of the St. Lucia Planned Parenthood Association Audrey George said, in this phase of the programme, mostly males are being targeted. She says males represent 56 percent of all HIV/AIDS reported cases on the island.

Miss George says there is great danger that St. Lucia and other Caribbean countries could be be losing economic and social gains, if their sexual and reproductive health concerns, of especially young males, are not addressed quickly.

“We at Planned Parenthood look at providing sexual reproductive health in a holistic fashion and it would include having to look at men's sexual reproductive health in itself. But since HIV/AIDS is part of reproductive health, it is a key focus with our service providers,” said George.

St. Lucia's HIV prevalence rate is estimated at 0.12 %. This means that one out of every 1000 persons are infected with the virus. However, these figures are believed to represent only 26% of the true cases because of the gross under reporting of new cases.


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