Saturday, December 01, 2012
In observation of World AIDS Day, the Ministry offered extended hours for free HIV testing and counseling at (45) certified rapid testing HIV sites nationwide from November 20th to December 1st 2012 to encourage persons to get tested to know their HIV status. The testing sites still available on Saturday December 1st 2012 are:
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Grand Stand Foreground, Queen’s Park Savannah – 1pm to 4pm
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Queen’s Park Counseling Centre and Clinic – 9am to 3pm
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Gulf City Shopping Complex – 8am to 8pm
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Royal Castle Sangre Grande – 10am to 7pm
The Honourable Minister of Health Dr Fuad Khan urges all citizens to do an HIV test with your partner at either the extended-hours testing sites set up to observe World AIDS Day or at regular testing sites available at health centres throughout the entire year. “As we work together to reduce the spread and the negative impact of HIV in our country, we encourage all citizens If negative, take steps to remain negative. Visit any one of our HIV Treatment sites today. Join us as we countdown to zero!”
The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day builds on the 2011 theme “Countdown to Zero” which aims at achieving zero new HIV infections globally. The Ministry of health is heeding this call to intensify national efforts towards a reduction of HIV incidences. The Ministry’s goal is to achieve a 50% reduction in our nation’s 2008 rate of infection of an average of four (4) new cases per day to less than two new cases per day in 2015.
However, after experiencing a continuous trend of an average of four (4) new HIV cases a day for 5 years, Trinidad and Tobago has already seen a reduction in the number of new HIV cases, from over 1400 new cases recorded in 2008 to 1077 cases recorded in 2011, a 25% decline in new diagnoses. Trinidad and Tobago has therefore achieved a new national average of (3) new cases per day!
Additionally, the Ministry of Health has focused its efforts in the following areas:
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To reduce the existing 3% transmission rate of Mother-to-child transmission of HIV to zero by 2015
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Improving the availability and access of antiretroviral drugs
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Promoting and encouraging HIV testing
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Eliminating discrimination and stigma
Despite the success of previous testing drives, the HIV epidemic continues to be dominant between the ages of 20 to 49 in both sexes. This represents the main segment of the work force of Trinidad & Tobago. For the period 2006-2009, this age group accounted for an average of 68% of new HIV infections each year. Additionally, although results from the Ministry’s recent Caribbean Testing Day 2012 campaign showed an encouraging increase in the number of men getting tested, there is still a noted disparity between male and female persons presenting to test. As such the Ministry of Health’s focus for this year’s World AIDS Day campaign is partner testing, particularly among all persons 20 to 49 years.
DATA SHEET HIV/AIDS
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Transmission |
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Heterosexual transmission- predominantly |
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Incident new cases of HIV and AIDS |
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New Cases |
AIDS |
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2004 |
1445 |
246 |
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2005 |
1436 |
216 |
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2006 |
1419 |
134 |
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2007 |
1348 |
104 |
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2008 |
1430 |
61 |
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2009 |
1385 |
77 |
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2010 |
1148 |
70 |
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2011 |
1077 |
33 |
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Cumulative as at Dec 2011 |
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Total Cases HIV - 23906 |
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Total Cases AIDS - 6440 |
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Total Cases deaths - 4041 |
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48% of new infections in Trinidad and Tobago females in 2009 |
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46% of new infections in Trinidad and Tobago females in 2010 |
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47.1% of new infections in Trinidad and Tobago were among females in 2011 |
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? Ratio M:F= 1:1.1 in 2009 |
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? Ratio M:F= 1:1 in 2010 |
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? Ratio M:F= 1:1 in 2011 |
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Predominant age group for new infections - 80% of known cases by sex are in the 20-49 year age group in 2009 |
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Predominant age group for new infections - 73% of known cases by sex are in the 20-49 year age group in 2010 |
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? 15-24 year age group account for 18% of new infections in 2009 |
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? 15-24 year age group account for 16% of new infections in 2010 |
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? 15-24 year age group account for 17.4% of new infections in 2011 |
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? Predominant age group for males 25-49 in 2009 |
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? Predominant age group for males 35 - 60+ in 2010 |
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? Predominant age group for males 20 - 60+ in 2011 |
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? Predominant age group for females 20-34 in 2009 |
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? Predominant age group for females 15-34 in 2010 |
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? Predominant age group for females 15-54 in 2011 |
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? Average of 4 new cases per day in 2009 |
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? Average of 3 new cases per day in 2010 |
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? Average of 3 new cases per day in 2011 |
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** Source: Annual Reports National Surveillance Unit, Ministry of Health
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