…As COHSOD meeting concludesThe notion that the Caribbean needs to take collective action against mother to child transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was one of the issues that secured consensus among Ministers of Health of the Region when the 21st meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) concluded yesterday.According to Chairman of the proceedings, Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy, “We endorsed the establishment of a global task team…and we are proud of the fact that the Caribbean has membership on this global task team and COHSOD extends our congratulations to Professor Edward Greene who is a member of this team.”He revealed too that COHSOD has committed its unequivocal support to the global task team and has thus recognised the pioneering role of Caricom.“Very early on when everyone else was talking about reduction it was Caricom that had put on the table the possibility of elimination of mother to child transmission by 2015.” According to Minister Ramsammy, COHSOD is delighted that the world is now following the Region’s example that such an achievement is possible to eliminate mother to child transmission.He said that each member state has committed nationally and as part of the collective move,Wholesale Jerseys From China, efforts will be made to strive for the elimination of mother to child transmission. “We commend those countries that are already poised to achieve this goal even before 2015.Many of our countries are on that path at this time but I believe that this Region can be the first outside of the developed countries to achieve elimination of mother to child transmission.”And this achievement, according to Minister Ramsammy, is in fact very realistic. He pointed out that over the years he had spoken of moving away from the trajectory of reduction to the trajectory of elimination.“I believe it is possible because in a short period we have demonstrated that. We have demonstrated that in Guyana as an example 10 years ago about 150 to 200 babies were born with HIV and in more recent years it is three or four.”Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy is flanked by Regional Health Ministers“This is what is happening now…in Barbados, Grenada, Montserrat,cheap jerseys, Bahamas, in all of our countries we have gone from hundreds and dozens to single digit numbers in terms of mother to child transmission.? These are real numbers and it is not speculating,NFL Jerseys Wholesale From China, it is not projecting,Air Max 97 Buy Online, it is real numbers.”In essence,Cheap Anaheim Ducks Hoodies, the demonstration reveals that the occurrence of transmission from mother to child cannot only be reduced but rather can be eliminated altogether.? He cautioned though that the struggle the Region now faces is the need to ensure that all women are tested so that they know their HIV status.And should a pregnant woman be found to be HIV positive,Cheap Jerseys, Minister Ramsammy noted that there are interventions that could significantly reduce their risk of giving birth to a baby with HIV.However, this process is not expected to be easy, adding that “nothing good is easy but it is very possible and I am convinced in my soul that elimination is possible.” (Sharmain Cornette)