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Successes, Challenges and Future Imperatives:

Montserrat’s Perspectives

PANCAP AGM 2010

Anjella SkerrittSTI/HIV/AIDS Coordinator

Montserrat

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Introduction

Montserrat is: British Overseas Territory

CARICOM Member and

OECS Member.

It is situated in the Eastern Caribbean and has a population of about 5000 persons.

The HIV incidence rate is an estimated 0.2 per 1000 and a prevalence of 1.2 per 1000 persons tested (Ministry of Health, 2009).

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How Regional Goods and Services Provided by PANCAP Have Advanced the National Response to HIV and

AIDS.

1. Facilitating and encouraged networking, technical assistance and training.

2. Facilitating participation in meetings that allows Montserrat to contribute to decision making at the regional level.

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Facilitating and Encouraged Networking, Technical Assistance and Training.

FTA

PSI

Attendance at the annual CCNAPC AGMs and capacity building sessions

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Supporting media campaigns for HIV Prevention and the Reduction of HIV related Stigma and Discrimination (2006)

Facilitating and Encouraged Networking, Technical Assistance and Training…

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Stigma and Discrimination Workshop on Montserrat (08-09 Oct 2006)

Youth Ambassador Program (ongoing)

CARICOM HIV Communication Strategy Workshop (03 April 2008)

Peer Exchanges: Guyana (2007) and Jamaica (2010)

Stigma and Discrimination Toolkit (2009)

Facilitating and Encouraged Networking, Technical Assistance

and Training…

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Facilitating Participation in Meetings that Allows Montserrat to Contribute to Decision Making at the

Regional Level

PANCAP AGMs,

Improving Universal Access to Treatment and Care (Sub-regional and Regional Consultations, 2006)

Champions for Change

Regional HIV/AIDS Model Policy Development (May 2007)

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1) Advise on strategies for deepening the involvement and integration of the FDA and OCT of the Caribbean into the governance and operations of PANCAP and its constituent members

2) Examine mechanisms for the accrual of greater benefits to the FDA and OCT from resources – human, technical financial, institutional – available to PANCAP

3) Advise PANCAP on mechanisms for resources for the direct benefit of the FDA and OCT

4) Ensure that the strategic interests of the FDA and OCT are reflected in the revised Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS

Special Working Group:Formulated in the BVI in 2006 - BVI was the UKOT representative and Montserrat the alternate. The purpose of the SWG:

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Member of the RCM since 2008Participation at the national and regional levels in the formulation of the CRSFHigh level mission of PANCAP Officials and their partners visited Montserrat 19 November 2007

UKOTS allowed to be members of the PANCAP RCM on a rotational basisUKOTS signed PANCAP membership agreementPANCAP’s pledge to work more closely with NAPs

Support for the Formulation of draft National HIV Work Place Policy

Facilitating Participation in Meetings that Allows Montserrat to Contribute to Decision Making at the Regional Level

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Challenges

The political status of Montserrat is often used as a barrier rather than a facilitator to access resources available to PANCAP for CARICOM and OECS countries

PANCAP and its partners’ appreciation of the peculiar issues affecting Montserrat as micro-state is not always understood, appreciated and or accommodated.

Limited national capacity and resources to compliment technical assistance offered by PANCAP to maximise opportunities to strengthen the national HIV/STI Program on Montserrat.

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Recommendations for building greater synergy

The recognition by PANCAP that small states, including Montserrat, are possibly at greater risk of the impact of HIV and AIDS

The political status of Montserrat to be leveraged as a facilitating factor for regional partnership, collaboration and access to resources.

Assist small states to improve their visibility in the region

Take steps to understand HIV and AIDS related issues of Montserrat (and other small states) to ensure those issues are articulated and considered at the regional level for appropriate inclusion in the regional agenda.

Montserrat to improve its capacity to maximise opportunities and resources available through PANCAP to strengthen the national HIV Program.

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Summary

PANCAP have advanced the national response to HIV and AIDS in Montserrat by facilitating networking, technical assistance and training; and facilitating participation in regional meetings that allows Montserrat to contribute to decision making at the regional level.

Montserrat as a microstate has peculiar needs and challenges that need to be better understood to optimise the benefits and opportunities from PANCAP’s support

Montserrat need to improve its capacity to maximise opportunities and resources available through PANCAP to strengthen the national HIV Program.