Int conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. F11759)
[No authors listed]
Located in the southeastern caribbean just north of trinidad and venuezuela, the small nation state of grenada is made up of three islands: grenada itself and twenty miles to the north cariaccou and petite martinique. the population is just under 10, of which about 75% is of african descent. the remainder of european, east indian and middle eastern descent. Cultural patterns, easy mobility and emphasis on tourism all reinforce the potential for spread of hiv/aids. The aids epidemic began in grenada in 1984. At the end of 2000, cumulative total of 204 cases of hiv cases of aids and 100 aids related deaths were reported to the ministry of health. There is clear evidence of underedetection and underreporting. Against this background the grenada aids foundation, formed in 1996, has been providing support for hiv infected persons and their families. At the same timeseeking to increase awareness about hiv/aids and helping to create a more compassionate and supportive environment. The activities of the grenada aids foundation are based on its sub-committee structure: home-care, education and counselling, media and fund-raising. The home care committee makes regular visits to the homes of hiv infected persons and provided materialpsychological and medical support. Infection control supplies and guidelines for home care were also provided. The GAF have obtained diagnostic tests including viral loads and cd4 counts and anti-retroviral medication for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes. Education and counselling is one of the priority areas for the GAF. The GAF have developed working relations with parent teachers' associations, womens's groups, youth groups and farmers' organizations. Over 30 forums and discussion groups have been held all over the island. Over seven audio-visual promos have been developed for use on radio and television. The GAF is contributing to the struggle aagainst hiv/aids in the caribbean, despite limited resources.
Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, Foundations, Disease Outbreaks, Health Education, Organizations, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, Grenada, Sex Education, HIV Seropositivity, Teaching, Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique, Caribbean Region, Female, Human, Education, economics
