Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/5466/-1/140/
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PANCAP Delegations Meet With Anguillian Government Officials
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The PAN Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) is the regional governing body set up by CARICOM to directly confront this worldwide disease. Last week Wednesday, November 21, a PANCAP delegation met with various members of Government to discuss the way forward in dealing with efforts to combat HIV/AIDS.
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Health and Education Officials at Conference
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Members of the delegation were The Hon. Minister of Health of Antigua and Barbuda Mr. John Maginley, The Hon. Minister of Health for St. Vincent and the Grenadines Dr. Douglas Slater, Director of PANCAP Mr. Carl Browne, Director of Caribbean Health Research Council Dr. Donald Simeon and Regional Programme Advisor UN AIDS, Dr. Michel de Groulard. The delegation sat down briefly with members of the media at Paradise Cove at 2:30 to field questions and give a report on the proceedings.
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Members of the PANCAP High-Level Mission
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Mr. Browne was introduced first and gave a background on the formation of PANCAP to its current position in 2007. In 2001, heads of CARICOM established PANCAP against the background of a very difficult and challenging time with HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. They were concerned about social and economic implications of the disease as well as the fact that the various sectors were not working in synergy. It was important to have something to coordinate everything so that everyone could be on the same page and therefore PANCAP was established. Its main functions are to coordinate the regional response to HIV/AIDS, support regional and national programmes aimed at reducing and mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS and mobilize resources to fund programmes. Mr. Browne continued, “PANCAP should also go beyond the traditional CARICOM countries. It should be a PAN Caribbean effort encompassing the entire archipelago. To date, most of the affairs with PANCAP have really only been towards CARICOM countries and there has been some difficulty and slowness in reaching the other ones. We are here in the British Overseas Territories to come face to face with the national authorities. We were in Montserrat and we are now going to the BVI to explain PANCAP and what it can do for these countries and what Anguilla can ask for from us. It is in fact a sensitization mission to learn from the countries and have them learn from us.”
The panel met the HE The Governor, the Hon. Deputy Governor, and permanent secretaries of Anguilla. There was also a three hour session with technical persons in Anguilla in which ideas from PANCAP were shared and much dialogue occurred concerning Anguilla current situation. Mr. Brown invited the Hon John Maginley of Antigua and Barbuda to speak as he has been one of the most active members in PANCAP. Mr. Maginley said, “It is important as policy makers to show our support for PANCAP. All departments and partners have to work together and the involvement at the ministerial level is very important. We have sat through many meetings with PANCAP in which the overseas territories were left out and this is why we are here as we need to make this a regional response.” Dr. Douglas Slater, Minister of Health St. Vincent and the Grenadines also spoke: “Us as politicians always get a lot of licks but in this effort we are precisely doing what we are supposed to be doing. We have received a level of commitment from the political directorate here in Anguilla. We are all Caribbean people and we need to work together to solve this problem. The media also has an important role to play as they can help with the issue of stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS.”
The work of PANCAP is done through implementing partners and establishing a network of groups. Anguilla is now in the mainstream of the decision making processes within PANCAP as there will be an Anguillian member on the board although that person has not been named yet. Moreover, $6.9 million euros are going towards the British and Dutch overseas territories in the future and PANCAP will assist in directing those funds. The PANCAP coordinators and organizers will be continuing on their mission to integrate the non CARICOM members in the near future.
-Jason Allen