thebahamasweekly.com - Bahamas Partners with US Embassy and NGO’s to Fight HIV/AIDS

From:TheBahamasWeekly.com

Bahamas Information Services Updates
Bahamas Partners with US Embassy and NGO’s to Fight HIV/AIDS
By Elcott Coleby, BIS
Oct 15, 2014 - 10:53:17 PM

Pictured from left during the presentation and signing ceremony are Paula Bowleg, Ministry of Health PEPFAR Cooperative Agreement Program Manager; Dr. Philip Swann, Project Officer in the Ministry of Health; Ananda Hall-Pyfrom, Asst. PEPFAR Coordinator; David Allen, US Embassy Pol/Econ Chief; Rico Adelis, Treasurer of the Haitian Organization for the Prevention of HIV/AIDS & STI’s (HOPHAS); Pierre Parisien, Executive Director of HOPHAS; Marco Archer, PS in the Ministries of Labour/National Insurance and Health; Dr. Nikkiah Forbes, Director of the National HIV/AIDS & Infectious Diseases Program; Dr. Glen Beneby, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in the Ministry of Health; Mavis Jervis, Director of the HIV/AIDS Center; Lowena West, Project Consultant and Advisor at the Bahamas Sexual Health & Reproductive Association (BASHRA) and Dr. Delon Brennen, Deputy Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health. Not pictured were representatives from the Society Against STI & HIV Association (SASHA) Bahamas, BNN Plus and One Eleuthera Bahamas. (BIS Photo/Elcott Coleby)

NASSAU, The Bahamas -- The tripartite partnership between the government of The Bahamas, the United States government and local Non-Government Organizations (NGO) continued today as three grants under the United States PEPFAR small fund program totaling some $13,000 were awarded to five NGO’s in the continued fight against HIV/AIDS through public education and community outreach across The Bahamas.

PEPFAR is the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. It is the United States government’s initiative to combat the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and is now part of the Global Health Initiative. Since 2004 PEPFAR has committed more than $30 billion to funding for the AIDS epidemic globally. PEPFAR reportedly continues to represent the largest financial commitment by a single country to responding to HIV and AIDS worldwide.

Receiving grants from the US Embassy were the Haitian Organization for the Prevention of HIV/AIDS & STI’s (HOPHAS); the Bahamas Sexual Health & Reproductive Association (BASHRA) in association with its partners SASHA Bahamas, BNN Plus and the One Eleuthera Foundation.

The award presentation and grant signing ceremony took place today, 14^th October 2014 at the Ministry of Health headquarters. Representing the Bahamas government were Permanent Secretary Marco Rolle, Dr. Glen Beneby, CMO and Dr. Delon Brennen, Deputy CMO. The US Embassy was represented by Ananda Hall-Pyfrom, Asst. PEPFAR Coordinator and David Allen, Pol/Econ Chief.