#Kingston, November 26, 2019 – Jamaica – The Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Joint United Nations Programme on Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) – (UNAIDS) – which will activate the Fast-Track Cities programme in Kingston.
The
Fast-Track Cities initiative is a global partnership between cities and
municipalities around the world with four core partners – the International
Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), UNAIDS, the United Nations Human
Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the city of Paris.
Representatives from the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal
Corporation (KSAMC) and the Ministry of Health and Wellness signed the MOU on
Monday (November 25) at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.
The
initiative was launched on World AIDS Day 2014 (December 1). Since then, the
network has grown to include more than 300 cities and municipalities that are
committed to attain the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets by 2020: 90 per cent of all
people living with HIV will know their HIV status; 90 per cent of all people
with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy
(ART) and 90 per cent of all HIV-diagnosed people receiving sustained ART will
achieve viral suppression.
The
initiative is also geared towards achieving zero stigma against persons living
with HIV/AIDS.
Mayors
and other city/municipal officials designate their cities as Fast-Track Cities
by first signing the Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities, which outlines a
set of commitments to achieve the initiative’s objectives. The city of
Kingston signed the Paris Declaration on December 1, 2014.
Mayor of Kingston, His Worship, Senator Councillor, Delroy
Williams, said this initiative will help to bring more “understanding” among
Jamaicans about the need to fight against diseases such as HIV and help with planning
for prevention.
“Understanding is critical to planning and planning is
critical to desired outcomes. Understanding, for me, is a process we comprehend
through the process of thought. Building the infrastructure of a resilient and
healthy city requires understanding. Therefore, the process to create resilience
and public health must be deliberately designed to bring the strongest ideas to
the front,” Mayor Williams said.
Coordinator, Disaster Preparedness/Project Liaison, KSAMC,
Terry Forrester, gave an overview of the targets for the parish of Kingston
regarding the initiative.
“Through the development of a project steering committee, a
work plan has been approved for Fast-Track Kingston Plus, which includes the
development of a city health profile for Kingston which will be displayed on
all websites, including the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation’s
website, and the Ministry of Health’s website,” Ms. Forrester said.
“This will provide a comprehensive health profile for the
city, which will not be limited to HIV,” she added. She said environmental sanitation will also
be included in the programme, given the various challenges that exist with
dengue and other vector-borne illnesses that are heavily driven by the state of
the environment.
Among other objectives, the initiative seeks to: provide an
overview of the Fast-Track Cities Programme in Kingston; pledge support for the
implementation of the Fast-Track Cities Programme; highlight the work being
done on the fight against HIV in Kingston; establishment of a framework to
address the social determinants of health, including those affecting HIV; and
signing of an MOU between the KSAMC and the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
Fast-Track Kingston has also taken a holistic approach for
health services in the Shelter Health Programme which has been tailored for the
homeless population in Kingston and St Andrew.
The MOU signing forms part of the KSAMC’s Local Government
Month activities.
Contact: Ainsworth Morris
Release: JIS
Header: Mayor of Kingston, His Worship, Senator Councillor, Delroy Williams (seated right), signs Memorandum of Understanding with (from left) Chief Executive Officer, Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), Robert Hill; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dunstan Bryan, at the launch of the Fast-Track Cities Programme on Monday (November 25), at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston. Observing (from left) are Coordinator, Disaster Preparedness/Project Liaison, KSAMC, Terry Forrester; Director, Health Promotion and Protection, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Simone Spence; Senior Medical Officer, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Nicole Skyers; and Country Director, UNAIDS, Manoela Manova.
Insert: Mayor of Kingston, His Worship, Senator Councillor, Delroy Williams (right), speaks to (from left) Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dunstan Bryan; Chief Executive Officer, Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), Robert Hill and Country Director, UNAIDS, Manoela Manova, at the launch of Fast-Track Cities Programme on Monday (November 25) at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.
Photos: Michael Sloley