December 1, 2020

#WorldAIDSDay T&T Receives Donation Of 5,000 HIV Self-Testing Kits

By Newsroom

Caption: (L-R ): Dr. Roshan Parasram, CMO; JJ Fitzgerald, Deputy Chief of Missions, US Embassy; Hon. Terrence Deyalsingh, Minister of Health; Mr. Asif Ali, Permanent Secretary (Ag), MoH; Mr. Ian Ramadhin, Permanent Secretary (Ag), Office of the Prime Minister.

On today, World AIDS Day, the Ministry of Health has received 5,000 HIV self-testing kits from the US government, to strengthen its fight against HIV and AIDS.

These self-testing kits were donated through the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)/ US Centres for Disease Control (CDC).

The HIV self-testing kit is an innovative method of testing that requires a swab of the mouth to test persons for HIV.  These persons are then guided to the next steps for testing at one of the testing centres located throughout the country and possible treatment, as needed.

These kits will aid in the Ministry’s goal to have at least ninety percent (90%) of persons living with HIV know their status by being voluntarily tested. This will greatly assist in the detection of the number of persons in the population who have contracted HIV.  Increased levels of detection will assist the Ministry in the creation of targeted policies aimed at reducing the number of infections, while providing more effective treatment programmes to those who require it most.

World AIDS Day 2020 is celebrated under the theme Global Solidarity…Shared Responsibility. The Government of Trinidad and Tobago reaffirms its commitment to global solidarity and our shared responsibility towards ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, as highlighted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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