ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Chief medical office (CMO), Dr Shawn Charles, Monday said Grenada will be integrating HIV care into the routine primary health care for the people who need to get tested as well as receive treatment and counselling if they are positive for the virus.
“One of the reasons for integrating HIV services into primary health care is that we want to bring the services closer to people,” Dr. Charles said while explaining that under the current arrangement, persons from the northern parish of St Patrick have to travel to the capital for certain services.
“This is not an equitable way of ensuring that access is for everyone. So, we want the services from testing, counselling to treatment now to be integrated as part of our routine clinics,” said Dr Charles, who believes that such a move will reduce the stigma and discriminatory behaviour that people confront people living with HIV.
Addressing a news conference, he told reporters that among the benefits of such a change is a reduction in stigma and discrimination.
“Apart from increasing access is that you reduce stigma and discrimination as well, instead of having everyone go to one place and all of that, that is our position,” the CMO said, without disclosing the date for the start of integrating the service nor the strategy that will be employed for the successful transition of this services into the island’s primary healthcare system.
However, Kelville Frederick, Senior Information Officer in the Health Promotion Department of the Health Ministry, said that the administrative process has started for integrating the service through training, formulating policies and procedures.
“The next step is stakeholder consultation to approve the process,” he said, noting that addressing stigma and discrimination will involve more provider sensitization, education, and training, as well as client sensitization and education to minimize self-stigma.
Charles said that there are between 20 and 30 new HIV positive cases in Grenada annually.
In 2023, the country had more than 400 people living with HIV.
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