Ahead of national observance…
MINISTER of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy yesterday headed a team which conducted public testing for HIV/AIDS at the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS), Hadfield Street and Old College Road, Georgetown.

The exercise was to mark National Testing Day and among those tested were Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Ralph Ramkarran; Minister of Labour, Mr. Manzoor Nadir; Minister within the Ministry of Education, Dr. Desrey Fox and Alliance For Change (AFC) Parliamentarian, Mrs. Sheila Holder.

Ramsammy, in brief remarks, disclosed that Guyana has enhanced its testing capacity and created greater awareness among people.

“About 23,000 people got tested in 2005, in comparison to last year, when 33,000 people took the test,” he revealed.

Ramsammy said, this year, the total number of 43,000 underwent tests at voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) sites and the figure, so far, surpassed that of previous years.

He also explained that the drive is in keeping with this year’s World AIDS Day theme ‘Don’t take chances: take the test’, which puts the focus on leadership in the fight against the disease.

“This year, we thought of bringing out leaders. As the country observes the National Testing Day on November 16, we are hoping to surpass the target,” Ramsammy said.

According to him, the venture, which is not time consuming, seeks to encourage people in the relatively simple process that contributes to the longevity of those infected with the virus as treatment is readily available.

Speaker Ramkarran reiterated the simplicity, the reliability and the promptness of the test and called on others to participate in the process.

Minister Nadir agreed the initiative is mainly to make people more aware.

He said: “We are doing this because we want people to know their status.”
Nadir, too, encouraged people to turn out in numbers on November 16 and get tested and made a special appeal to employers and employees to support the action to ensure that the environment is safe.

The National Day of Testing is intended to encourage people to know their status and help erase the stigma attached to getting tested for HIV.
It also aims at helping to prevent new HIV infections by increasing awareness, education and access to VCT.

Minister Fox noted that the test serves as a wake up call but acknowledged that members of the public do not understand the significance of such strategies.

“It is important for us, as leaders, to lead the way and I recommend that others get tested since the process assures confidentiality,” she said.