BELIZE CITY, Fri. June 28, 2019– The National AIDS Commission of Belize (NAC) has set out to make Belizeans across the country aware of their status by means of the second annual National Testing Day, which was held today, Friday, June 28. So, in all the districts, testing for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is being done free of cost.
In Belize City’s Battlefield Park, a testing area was set up for city residents who want to know their HIV status.
Anellie Parades, the NAC’s communications and program officer, told us that this year’s testing is occurring at 8 locations around the country.
Parades said that last year when the testing across the country started they tested 1,753 persons. This year, “we are hoping to surpass that number,” Parades said, and Parades noted that the organization is “focusing on males primarily to come out and get tested.”
Asked what age range they are focusing on, Parades said that it’s a wide age range.
Out of the total number of persons tested last year, only four persons were HIV positive — three males and one female, Parades disclosed.
We asked Parades to comment on the trends in the level of HIV infection in the global population and how the numbers are panning out.
Parades said the key HIV populations are generally men who have sex with men, sex workers and transgender persons. The objective of the NAC is to bring awareness.
“Do you have numbers that you can share with us?” we asked.
“The 2018 data is not out yet,” Parades replied.
When asked about the districts in which HIV and AIDS are most prevalent, Parades said, “The Stann Creek District, Cayo District and the Belize District are the areas with the most cases of HIV.”
Parades explained that this year they are doing a program that is called the peer navigation program. The program will get peer navigators to go out and locate persons who are lost in the system or people who have stopped taking their medication. “We are focusing on the three districts with the highest numbers,” Parades said.
Parades explained that people who are tested positive can access free medication.
“We do the rapid test and once a person comes out positive, there are other follow-up tests that are done,” Parades said.