GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The Director of the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) Coordinating Unit (PCU), Dr Wendy Telgt Emanuelson, Monday promised an “AIDS-free Caribbean for generations to come” even as she acknowledged that the path towards ending AIDS by 2030 “was never meant to be easy”.
In a message marking World AIDS Day, Emanuelson said that the recent financial challenges present one of the most significant tests the region has faced in decades.
“These cuts are not just numbers on a spreadsheet; they represent a potential threat to the medicines that keep our Caribbean brothers and sisters healthy, the prevention programmes that protect our youth, and the hope that has been steadily building across our territories.”
She said that as the region observes World AIDS Day, it is being called to embrace the powerful theme of “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response”.
“This call resonates deeply across our Caribbean region, not as a mere slogan, but as a testament to the resilience that has always defined our people. We stand at a pivotal moment, facing the strong crosswinds of global funding cuts that threaten to slow our progress. But hear this clearly: our resolve has not been shaken; it has been steeled.”
Emanuelson said that Caribbean people are no strangers to overcoming storms, saying “We have learned to build stronger, stand firmer and innovate smarter when faced with adversity.
“Our commitment to achieving the 95-95-95 targets is unwavering. Why? Because we have seen the transformative power of treatment. We have witnessed communities rally together. We already have countries in our region that have eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV.”
