Government committed to eliminating HIV/AIDS - Grange

MINISTER OF Youth, Sports and Culture Olivia Grange said the Government of Jamaica is committed to intensifying efforts to eliminate HIV and AIDS.

Speaking at the side-event organised by United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS during the United Nations General Assembly high-level meeting on youth in New York, Grange said the Government of Jamaica had established "some very effective partnerships at the national, regional and international levels," which had achieved some success. However, the minister said there was "much more to do and we are committed to going the distance."

Grange referred to statistics showing that almost 10 per cent of all reported AIDS cases were among youth under 19 years old, and that 20 per cent of reported cases were in the 20 to 29 age group. The minister also said adolescent girls were twice as likely to be infected with HIV than boys their own age.

Grange told the gathering that "the prevalence of certain risky behaviour had led to increased vulnerability and HIV infection among young people in Jamaica," and that the Government's "challenge had always been the availability of resources on a long-term basis to scale up our projects and ensure their sustainability."

Recognising the challenges, "the Government of Jamaica has sought to use a multisectoral strategy in addressing the situation. We have had some successes, but we realise that behaviour modification is time-bound and require sustained efforts and long-term investment."