Update

Bahamas remains committed to the AIDS response

14 April 2014

During a visit to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas the Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS Luiz Loures commended the government on the progress made in curbing its AIDS epidemic. 

Once a country with the highest rates of HIV prevalence in the Caribbean, the Government of the Bahamas has taken strong ownership of its response to HIV from the outset, providing most of the funding and human resources from domestic sources. This commitment has resulted in marked progress and the Bahamas was cited by Dr Loures as an example of how political will and leadership are key to advancing progress towards the end of the AIDS epidemic.

Dr Loures also recognized the valuable contributions of civil society, care providers and private sector partners and confirmed that in this global effort, UNAIDS is looking forward to supporting the Bahamas leadership in its quest to end the national epidemic.

The Government reconfirmed its commitment to providing high-quality, accessible HIV services to improve the health and well-being of people living with and affected by HIV.

Quotes

"UNAIDS and the Bahamas remain strong partners in the AIDS response".

Honorable Perry Christie, Prime Minister of the Bahamas

"From the beginning of the epidemic, the Government of the Bahamas has made a strong commitment to address AIDS. We are committed to furthering our efforts to curb the epidemic."

Honorable Perry Gomez, Minister of Health, Bahamas

"We have seen first-hand the importance of country ownership, and we will continue to lend our support to furthering the efforts to achieve the Three Zeros in the Bahamas and by extension in the Caribbean region".

UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Luiz Loures