The silence surrounding HIV/AIDS leading to complacency and the figures for the disease is beginning to increase.
This startling message from Professor Emeritus Sir Errol “Mickey” Walrond, who wants a more vocal approach to HIV/AIDS message, especially to the youth and men who have sex with men (MSM).
The long-time advocate in fighting the disease also indicated the message needs to get out about the effectiveness of the Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) introduced in 2003.
His views were aired on Wednesday as he addressed the start of a two-day research symposium held by the National HIV/AIDS Commission at Courtyard by Marriott. Its theme was Strengthening The National Response Changing Paradigms In The Fight Against HIV and he spoke on the topic When Silence Is Not Golden.
Sir Errol said when there was the big hullabaloo back in 1984 to 1988, the impact was miniscule compared to today; and cases were expected to peak by 2 000 as projected by trends. The situation had remained virtually steady with a slight decline up till 2012, which were the last available figures he had.
However, Sir Errol said UN AIDS data showed that the number of AIDS deaths in Barbados by 2016 were the highest seen since 2000. According to the data, by 2002 there were almost 75 deaths from AIDS per year and it dropped to between 25 and 50 by 2004, but steadily increased over the next 12 years to almost 100 AIDS deaths per year.
“Why should we be having AIDS-related deaths rising still in spite of HAART . . . the answer is that the epidemic has gone underground again and we are not talking about it,” he declared.
He described HIV as the silent epidemic, because no one wanted to say they had it and could live many years without symptoms; it led to a “roaring epidemic of AIDS”, worsened by a third epidemic of adverse social reaction to HIV/AIDS.
With the most recent data available for Barbados coming from the HIV Surveillance Bulletin 2013, which was revised in October 2016, Sir Errol called for more up to date data. According to the Bulletin, in 2013 there were 71 men and 33 women diagnosed with HIV, with 30 of those men and 11 of those women having developed AIDS by time of diagnosis. Of those new cases of men contracting HIV, 36 per cent were MSM.
Additionally, in 2013 there were 46 men and 18 women with new cases of AIDS, while 39 men and eight women died from AIDS. The number of people registering for care stood at 53 men and 30 women.
When quizzed on when new statistics will be released, data analyst with the HIV/AIDS Programme, Shonna Crichlow, said there were some challenges getting the surveillance data out and the 2013 figures were the most advanced to be released and the data was being analysed for 2014 to 2016 and those for 2017 were expected soon.
There are just over 1 700 active HIV patients registered with the Ministry’s Ladymeade Reference Unit (LRU) and more than 1 300 are on therapy. (LK)
