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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : PAHO / WHO urges Gover... ( Gleaner )...</span>
DR ERNEST Pate, Pan-American Health Organisation/World Health Organi-sation representative in Jamaica, has urged the Government to urgently put measures in place to help combat the stigma and discrimination that surrounds HIV/AIDS in the society.He was speaking on Wednesday at the World AIDS Day commemoration at the Office of the Prime Minister. The day was observed under the theme: 'It is your right, Claim It!'Pate said Jamaica needs to look at the human rights of individuals who are infected."One of the major problems of barriers to accessing care for HIV/AIDS patients is the stigma and discrimination that exists ... when people go and get tested and they find that they are positive, they then have concerns about not being able to access education, they are concerned about what's going to happen when they tell their families and what will happen in their communities, this puts a certain amount of fear in them actually seeking to identify what is their status," he said.Pate added that the response of some health-care workers also prevent infected persons from accessing the care that they desire."So we really need to look at human rights, we really need to look at how we reduce that stigma and discrimination so people can access the care to a greater extent," he said.ActivitiesIn the meantime, the Corporate Area was buzzing with activities on Wednesday. Scores of students and adults swarmed Emancipation Park to take part in a number of activities put on by the Jamaica Red Cross, geared towards achieving the objectives of its theme 'Expressions of Hope'.Programmes director for HIV and Youth Stacy-Ann Tomlinson said the response to the event was superb, which shows that people are taking greater interest in getting educated about the disease.It was no different at the National Heroes Park where the Ministry of Health engaged several persons in various activities, from getting tested to different pep talks directed at educating persons about the disease.In his World AIDS Day message, Health Minister Rudyard Spencer said Jamaica has made a bold step to place human rights at the centre of its development agenda."We must uphold the rights of individuals to have unrestricted access to HIV prevention interventions, treatment, care and support services. These rights are fundamental for honouring basic human rights such as the right to health, work and an adequate standard of living," he noted.Spencer said, however, that the country is lagging behind in improving access to treatment and prevention programmes for vulnerable groups, which are highly affected by HIV.
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : PAHO / WHO urges Gover... ( Gleaner )...</span>
DR ERNEST Pate, Pan-American Health Organisation/World Health Organi-sation representative in Jamaica, has urged the Government to urgently put measures in place to help combat the stigma and discrimination that surrounds HIV/AIDS in the society.He was speaking on Wednesday at the World AIDS Day commemoration at the Office of the Prime Minister. The day was observed under the theme: 'It is your right, Claim It!'Pate said Jamaica needs to look at the human rights of individuals who are infected."One of the major problems of barriers to accessing care for HIV/AIDS patients is the stigma and discrimination that exists ... when people go and get tested and they find that they are positive, they then have concerns about not being able to access education, they are concerned about what's going to happen when they tell their families and what will happen in their communities, this puts a certain amount of fear in them actually seeking to identify what is their status," he said.Pate added that the response of some health-care workers also prevent infected persons from accessing the care that they desire."So we really need to look at human rights, we really need to look at how we reduce that stigma and discrimination so people can access the care to a greater extent," he said.ActivitiesIn the meantime, the Corporate Area was buzzing with activities on Wednesday. Scores of students and adults swarmed Emancipation Park to take part in a number of activities put on by the Jamaica Red Cross, geared towards achieving the objectives of its theme 'Expressions of Hope'.Programmes director for HIV and Youth Stacy-Ann Tomlinson said the response to the event was superb, which shows that people are taking greater interest in getting educated about the disease.It was no different at the National Heroes Park where the Ministry of Health engaged several persons in various activities, from getting tested to different pep talks directed at educating persons about the disease.In his World AIDS Day message, Health Minister Rudyard Spencer said Jamaica has made a bold step to place human rights at the centre of its development agenda."We must uphold the rights of individuals to have unrestricted access to HIV prevention interventions, treatment, care and support services. These rights are fundamental for honouring basic human rights such as the right to health, work and an adequate standard of living," he noted.Spencer said, however, that the country is lagging behind in improving access to treatment and prevention programmes for vulnerable groups, which are highly affected by HIV.