United Nations Radio

A regional preparatory meeting on HIV and development in Latin America and the Caribbean took stock of progress made in controlling HIV in the region. Jamaica's Minister of Health Rudyard Spencer told the annual ministerial review of the UN Economic and Social Council in Geneva, that the preparatory meeting also analyzed the main obstacles in achieving further successes and advances in the prevention, treatment and care of HIV, towards the achievement of the HIV-related Millennium Development Goals. He explained that four key messages emerged from the discussions: First, Addressing HIV is central to public health, socio-economic development and human security. Secondly, the region must provide renewed leadership and keep HIV on national and regional agendas.

St. Kitts-Nevis stresses that the global economic and financial crisis did not occur overnight

The global financial and economic crisis did not occur overnight. Rather, it has been an amalgamation of deficiencies in the international system that has delivered the results. That's what the representative of St. Kitts-Nevis Ambassador Delano Frank Bart told the UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis. He said the structures that have governed us are in need of repair, reform and restructure. And he added, so must be the period of greed, un-cooperation and unilateralism.

St. Lucia tells of its 5-year strategic plan to combat HIV/AIDS

Events such as the two-day forum on HIV/AIDS at the United Nations provided an opportunity for member States to not only share and learn from the experience of others, but also to redouble their efforts in fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic. That's what the deputy representative of St. Lucia Sarah Flood-Beaubrun told a recent 2-day meeting at the United Nations that centered on successes in, and obstacles to, implementing the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the follow-up Political Declaration of 2006.
Ms. Sarah Flood-Beaubrun says the primary concern today is that the epidemic which is now concentrated will cross over to the general population. She says the St. Lucia government sees several key actions as being crucial to preventing this cross-over which she explained forms the basis of St. Lucia's HIV/AIDS response.

Producer: Donn Bobb
duration: 14'00"