Above: St Lucia
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Brazil is offering its help across the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States in a bid to fight the HIV/AIDS virus.
The country has offered the region anti-retroviral medicines on consignment to treat patients with the disease.
“I feel highly honoured to know that these consignments have and will continue to save Caribbean lives,” said Brazilian Ambassador to St Lucia and the OECS Joaquim Whitaker Salles. “Nothing can illustrate more eloquently my government’s commitment to the strengthening of cooperation with the OECS and improving the lives of the people of the region. It is an enduring commitment that Brazil will make sure to preserve and continue for the mutual benefit of our people.”
The offering includes $142,000 USD of medication, the final supply of the second phase of the South-South Cooperation between Brazil and the OECS.
The partnership, which began in 2006, has increased from covering 530 to 700 OECS citizens living with the disease.
“This donation is very important and it will complement our other efforts from the global fund in providing a wide consortium of anti-retroviral medicines for our patients,” said Francis Burnett, head of the OECS Pharmaceutical Procurement Unit in St Lucia.