The local health sector’s fight against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is at a very important juncture. According to Minister of Health,cheap jerseys, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, Guyana is gearing for elimination rather than just merely a reduction of the dreaded disease.He boasted that this country has over the years done a tremendous job in highlighting the fact that HIV is a chronic disease, but accentuated his disappointment that the United Nations had not recognised chronic diseases as a major threat to the reduction of poverty and development.He said that while the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) recognise some diseases, the chronic diseases are left out. However, he applauded the efforts of UNAIDS which is currently seeking to remedy this omission by allowing countries to include in their review the challenges faced by nations because of chronic diseases.Minister Ramsammy hands over a certificate to a representative of Carib Food Supersavers supermarketFrom next year, there will be a summit on the chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension among others. The Minister’s remarks on this state of affairs were amplified last Friday evening when the World AIDS Day and a Supermarket Initiative was launched at Cara Lodge in the city.World AIDS Day is observed on December 1, annually, and will speak to the need of universal access and human rights this year.According to UNAIDS Representative for Guyana and Suriname, Dr Ruben Del Prado, Guyana is nearing the goal of ensuring that no more children will be born infected with the virus. In commenting on universal access, he noted that the move to incorporate supermarkets in raising awareness will serve to boost the efforts geared at HIV prevention.Also present at the launch was USAID Country Director, Ms Carol Horning, who revealed that access for all to HIV prevention, treatment care and support, should be treated as a fundamental union right.She noted that the risk of HIV infection increases with human rights violations, including discrimination against the most at-risk groups. She said, though, that it is clear that in Guyana, the Ministry of Health is committed to providing universal access and services to its population, including care and treatment of all people that live with HIV.“Guyana is one of the few countries able to test a very large proportion of pregnant women and provide needed services and medicines to prevent HIV transmission…Only 8.8 percent of infants exposed to HIV tested positive, and that is truly remarkable.”She noted that the Government of the United States is proud to partner the Ministry of Health in trying to bring universal access within reach in Guyana.According to Head of the National AIDS Programme Secretariat,NFL Jerseys Wholesale, Dr Shanti Singh, even as World AIDS Day approaches, the Secretariat is reflecting on its achievements and the many challenges it has faced over the year. Nonetheless,Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys, she noted that more global progress is reported in the response to HIV/AIDS. Dr. Singh disclosed that the world has seen a reduction in new infections and fewer deaths are associated to AIDS.“In our own country, we have heard that international recognition of our efforts is evident, the most recent case being the report on September 28, 2010, towards universal access by the WHO, UNICEF and a joint UN Nations’ programme on HIV and AIDS…”The report,Cheap Jerseys From China, according to Dr Singh, was done among 114 low and middle income countries in 2009, and stated that Guyana is one of the 15 countries across the globe that provides more than 80 percent coverage to HIV pregnant women.The local observance of World AIDS Day will be preceded by a number of activities, primary among them the National Week of Testing next month.Also at the launching, a total of 10 supermarkets signed onto the Supermarket Initiative and were presented with certificates to this effect. Among the participating supermarkets are: Fogarty,Cheap NHL Adidas Jerseys, N and S Mattai, Survival, Nirva’s,Cheap Jerseys China, Carib Food Supersavers, Budget, Bounty Meat Centre, Discount Palace and Supermarket, Sachi’s and Nigel’s.