Nassau, The Bahamas - Undocumented persons who are among the sub-population of Most at-Risk Persons to contract HIV/AIDS, fear of detainment is one of the factors that have hindered local efforts to further strengthen and expand prevention interventions among that grouping, Minister of Health Dr. the Hon. Hubert A. Minnis told a regional healthcare forum.

Dr. Minnis said one of the mechanisms that have made The Bahamas’ National HIV/AIDS Programme so successful since its establishment 23 years ago, is its focus on “oversight, planning, training, and coordination and evaluation of the national response to HIV/AIDS.

He said focus will be further placed on the continued strengthening of efforts to reach those persons who belong in the most at-risk persons and other vulnerable population groupings (OVP).

“Our focus has always been on prevention of transmission of HIV and the comprehensive care of the individuals infected with HIV, so access to healthcare, regardless of immigration status, is a tenet of the Ministry of Health,” Dr. Minnis added.

The Health Minister said the Government of The Bahamas has implemented a number of policies and practices over the years aimed at reaching most at-risk persons and other vulnerable populations.

One such policy that specifically facilitated the operation and scope of HIV/AIDS related services is the provision of medical care for persons with need, regardless of their ability to pay.

“Antenatal care, including the provision of anti-retroviral therapy, is provided free of charge to all public patients,” Dr. Minnis said. “This has also been extended to all registered HIV-positive patients in both the public and private healthcare sectors.”

Delivering the keynote address at the Opening Ceremony of the Caribbean Regional HIV Prevention Summit on the Most At-Risk Persons and Other Vulnerable Populations (OVP) which opened Tuesday morning in New Providence, Dr. Minnis said the lack of immigration status, language barriers, stigmatisation, economic power and the lack of recognition of the negative impact of risky behaviours, also contribute to the issue.

(The Summit is being co-sponsored by the Ministry of Health and the United States’ President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Dr. Minnis said as a result, healthcare providers in The Bahamas still face “significant” challenges in the treatment of the Most at Risk Persons and Other Vulnerable Populations (OVPs) who are at greatest risk of inequitable access to health services due to the aforementioned forces.

These groups include adolescents and young adults, undocumented immigrants, men who have sex with men (MSMs), commercial sex workers (CSWs) and persons above the age of fifty years.

“Consequently, greater efforts to strengthen and expand prevention interventions aimed at individuals most at-risk, and people living with HIV/AIDS to protect their health and reduce the risk of HIV transmission to sexual partners and children, will be implemented,” Dr. Minnis added.

The Health Minister lauded the efforts of the National HIV/AIDS Programme in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and its longtime National Director Dr. Perry Gomez, adding that the programme continues to be a global model.

Dr. Minnis said the Caribbean, as a whole, is the “second-most” HIV affected region in the world as AIDS continues to be the leading cause of death among adult Caribbean males and females between the ages of 25-44 years.

“This Summit,” Dr. Minnis said, “seeks to specifically target most at-risk persons and other vulnerable populations in HIV prevention programming.”

He said the “population” of commercial sex workers in The Bahamas is another area that will receive greater focus with respect to HIV Prevention Programmes.

“As prostitution is a crime in The Bahamas, a greater part of this practice is underground,” Dr. Minnis said. “Therefore much work is needed in identifying this group and understanding its network, practices and behaviours,” Dr. Minnis added.