HIV

St. Kitts – Nevis Promotes Use Of Female Condom

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
April 03, 2008 (SKNIS)

The National AIDS Secretariat is stepping up efforts to empower women and promote behavioural change in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Earlier this week, approximately forty persons from various agencies attended a workshop at the Ocean Terrace Inn (OTI) designed to raise awareness about the female condom and increase its usage.

Carmeta Douglin, HIV/AIDS Advisor for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) facilitated the workshop. Ms. Douglin, who is responsible for Barbados and OECS territories, told SKNIS that the workshop is part of a larger strategy.

“What we are doing is providing Caribbean countries with female condoms and with training so that they can use the female condom and also educate clients on its usage,” she said. “Even though the female condom has been around in the Caribbean, it has not been used much “¦ so we want to make sure that persons adopt bevahiours to use it “¦ realizing that it is a tool of empowerment. They can have a choice between male condoms and female condoms and they can feel comfortable that they are protecting themselves against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and against unwanted pregnancies.”

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Health Issues Discussed At CARICOM

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
March 10, 2008 (CUOPM)

Several issues of importance to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis were discussed at the just concluded 19th Inter-Sessional Heads of Government Meeting in The Bahamas.

The Heads of Government, among them, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas urged Member States and CARICOM Universities to work assiduously to achieve the integration of the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network (CKLN) and the Caribbean Universities Project for Integrated Distance Education (CUPIDE). This would harmonize the Region’s approach to the delivery of continuous learning and the creation of increased access to training opportunities and enhanced skills for its citizens.

According to the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the regional leaders noted the progress being made by CKLN to provide access to tertiary education programmes that are aligned with the Caribbean Labour Market demands and which will facilitate secure connectivity between and among Regional Governments.

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Nevis Government Discusses National HIV/AIDS Plan

Charlestown, Nevis
February 27, 2008

Stakeholders in the fight against HIV/AIDS on Nevis, had the opportunity to make their final comments on a draft National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan for St. Kitts and Nevis for 2008 to 2012, at a one day workshop on February 27, 2008 at the Red Cross conference room in Charlestown.
 
The consultation which was hosted by the National AIDS Secretariat and the Nevis AIDS Coordination Unit, would ultimately determine the success of St. Kitts and Nevis in the reduction of the spread of HIV/AIDS and its impact on individuals, families and the community over the next five years.
 
Acting Health Planner/HIV/AIDS Coordinator on Nevis Mrs. Nicole Slack-Liburd told the Department of Information, that the primary reason for the session was to get feedback from the stakeholders, a follow up exercise from a consultation in 2007 with various interest groups on the island.

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