US Expands Caribbean AIDS Program

Under an agreement signed Tuesday, 12 more Caribbean Community (Caricom) nations will be eligible to apply for assistance from the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

Previously, Guyana and Haiti were the only two Caricom countries targeted by PEPFAR. "The focus is on partnership and working with national governments and regional programs on ownership and support of national programs," said Karen Williams, charge d'affaires of the US embassy in Georgetown, Guyana. The arrangement provides the 12 nations with $25 million annually, or up to $125 million over the next five years, for HIV/AIDS prevention, testing and counseling.

The nations named in the new agreement are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados; the Bahamas; Belize; Dominica; Grenada; Jamaica; Trinidad and Tobago; St. Kitts and Nevis; St. Lucia; St. Vincent; the Grenadines; and Suriname.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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