Govt lays HIV, AIDS policy in House

THE Government is seeking the views of the public on its Green Paper on the National HIV and AIDS Policy 2020-2030, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Ayanna Webster-Roy said. She spoke in the House of Representatives on Friday minutes after laying the document which she boasted was the first of its kind ever laid.

“It is envisaged that the end of AIDS as we know it will be achieved by the year 2030,” she declared, “in keeping with the Government's national development strategy, our Vision 2030 Framework, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”

The policy will lead to men and women and boys and girls in TT having a reduced risk of HIV and other STIs, and will support for those affected by the disease, she said.

San Juan MP Dr Fuad Khan asked if the policy would support the public health service supplying PrEP medication to people who might be exposed to the HIV virus. Webster-Roy replied that this had been considered and the document is now open to further discussion. Recently, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh had ruled out any public distribution of PrEP medication, on the grounds that it was not government policy. He also suggested it might encourage risky sexual behaviour.

Webster-Roy also laid the Government’s Green Paper on the National Child Policy to produce children who are “happy, healthy and confident their rights are respected.”

Earlier, Khan had asked the House to debate as an urgent matter the temporary housing of pupils of the San Juan Government School at a building in Tunapuna, but this was disallowed.