About 1000 People In Saint Lucia Living With HIV- Only 284 Actively Collecting Medication

December 1, 2024, marked the 36th commemoration of World AIDS Day,  with a disclosure that approximately 1000 people in Saint Lucia are living with HIV. According to the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, of these, only 284 are actively collecting their antiretroviral medication. In addition Senior Medical Officer for Infectious Diseases, Dr. Gail Gajadhar, noted that there are persons who are undiagnosed and thus unaware of their HIV status.  “Anyone who is sexually active is at risk for contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections,” Gajadhar warned. While 16 people in St. Lucia died of AIDS-related causes in 2023, the availability of comprehensive treatments, including antiretroviral therapy, offers hope.  Saint Lucia has made strides in ensuring access to life-saving medicines, diagnostics, and treatment for opportunistic infections. Saint Lucia also provides medication to pregnant women living with HIV, reducing the risk of transmitting the virus to their unborn children. However, Dr. Gajadhar underscored that “discrimination of people living with HIV has deprived them of basic human rights that other people, including other patients, enjoy.”  The theme for World Aids Day 2024, “Take the Right Path,” highlighted the global commitment to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030....