Gender Equality and HIV Resource Persons and Agencies

Message from the Minister of Health
Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson
HIV and AIDS continue to be a major priority in
Jamaica. The disease is not solely a health concern
but has developmental implications for the country.
The Ministry of Health continues to provide treatment,
care and support to persons living with the disease.
A part of this support is access to information and
personnel from whom help can be sought.
We acknowledge that more needs to be done if
we hope to halt and reverse the spread of HIV and
AIDS as outlined in our development agenda. We
are moving beyond talk and have demonstrated in tangible ways our commitment
to the fundamental human rights of our citizens and the importance of universal and
easy access to HIV resources. This directory is a part of our commitment to remove
the impediments to access to social services, to allow infected and affected persons
to participate and to have a voice.
The directory will allow anyone who so desires to access trained human resource
to identify and address the peculiar issues related to unbalanced gender power
relations; as well as locate agencies to support work to address such issues. It will
also allow us to keep track of the persons that we have trained and to use this
resource in the best way possible to support the national programme.
This is a first for us and this Registry will assist us to reach our goals of ensuring that
all persons have safe, easy and universal access to care, treatment and support
services through gender equality mainstreaming in the national HIV response.
Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, DDS., MP
Minister of Health
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