Gya: Abstinence to help fight AIDS

Young people from Regions One, Four and Nine will benefit from a grant for HIV/AIDS relief through the Guyana Red Cross Society (GRCS) as part of a programme advocating abstinence and capacity building.

A source close to the Guyana Red Cross told Stabroek News that representatives attended meetings in Washington after the announcement was made that Guyana was among the 14 countries benefiting from the first portion of the US$350 million in Emergency Plan funding announced on February 23. This is part of President Bush's $15B Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

According to the USAID website, the American Red Cross will receive US$7M to collaborate with Red Cross societies in Guyana, Haiti and Tanzania to reach more than 760,000 in-and-out-of-school youths between the ages of 19 and 24 with messages about HIV prevention through abstinence and other healthy behaviour.

Now, if only Caribbean countries would follow Uganda's example and vigorously promote marriage and fidelity, the HIV/AIDS rate would actually decline.