May 21st 08 - The ACAN Foundation and HIV awareness - John Lake, Juan Richardson, Hyacinth Augustine and James Carty joined the conversation to explain the work of their Foundation ACAN.
ACAN means the ANguilla Community Action Network and as members of this organization the guests were willing and eager to spread the message on HIV prevention and care.
As we continue the fight against HIV AIDS we cannot become complacent, and we cannot ignore the numbers. The numbers are indeed startling… and as a small society we need to be always vigilant and proactive in dealing with HIV AIDS.
In the eyes of many people, The Caribbean is more readily associated with vacations than HIV…but the common perception of the region as an un-spoilt paradise is far from reality. Caribbean countries are affected by a wide array of social, economic and development problems, many of which are being exacerbated by the spread of HIV and AIDS.
After Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean has a higher HIV prevalence than any other area of the world, with 1.6% of the adult population infected. At the end of 2005, an estimated 330,000 people were living with HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean. Some 37,000 people were newly infected during 2005, and there were 27,000 deaths due to AIDS.
The ACAN members stressed the need for persons to be aware and to get tested. They spoke of their experiences in the community in trying to spread the word on HIV and to reach as many people as possible.
They also wanted to inform the public about the World Conference on HIV/AIDS in Mexico which is slated for August 08. ACAN is trying to raise funds to send some members to the conference and would like the public to help them in their fundraising drives.
AIDS is now one of the leading causes of death in some of these countries, with Haiti being the worst affected. An estimated 16,000 lives are lost each year to AIDS in Haiti, and tens of thousands of children have been orphaned by the epidemic.
If you would like to donate to The ACAN Foundation please call or visit The NBA (National Bank of Anguilla) and simply ask about the ACAN account and make your donations.
For more information on the work of ACAN on Anguilla or to find out how you can help, please visit the ACAN website:
http://www.acanaxa.org/