What
is UWI HARP?
The
University of West Indies HIV/AIDS Response Programme (UWI
HARP) is an accelerated institutional response to the HIV/AIDS
epidemic across the entire University - on the campuses in
Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago as well as in
the extramural centres scattered throughout the English-speaking
Caribbean. UWI HARP is a multidisciplinary group dedicated
to using the expertise of the University to work with other
committed partners in combating HIV/AIDS and mitigating its
impact.
Background
The
leaders of UWI HARP recognize that the HIV/AIDS epidemic presents
"an enormously complex challenge to the Caribbean region"
and the situation therefore callsfor a sustained, multifaceted,
collaborative response.
UWI
HARP was established in August 2001 and consists of a multidisciplinary,
cross-faculty team of staff and students, with invited membership
form governments and non-gocvernmental organizations. Task
forces have been established on the three campuses to tackle
areas including research, updating of an HIV/AIDS policy for
the University community,curriculum review and development,
and social marketing.
UWI
HARP is grateful to the European Union Commission for financial
support through a grant, which is facilitating a project for
strengthening the institutional response to HIV/AIDS/STI in
the Caribbean (The SIRHASC Project). The
grant, which is administered via the Project Implementation
Unit at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Headquarters in
Guyana, has allowed UWI to hire new teaching, research and
administrative staff and to carry out significant curriculum
review and development in areas relevant to HIV/AIDS. Areas
being strengthened through the grant include Health Economics,
Communication, Behavioural Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and
Public Health.
Leadership
Professor
Brendan Bain, an Infectious Disease Clinician and Head of
the Department of Community Health & Psychiatry, is the
first chairman of the UWI HARP committee on the Mona Campus
and overall coordinator of UWI HARP, reporting to the Vice-Chancellor.
Dr.
Bhoendradatt Tewari chairs the UWI HARP committee on the St.Augustine
Campus, where the first programmes were being carried out
on the ground through the joint leadership of Health Economist,
Professor Karl Theodare and Paediatrician, Dr. Zulaika Ali.
The
team on the Cave Hill campus is led by Professor Henry Fraser,
Dean of the School of Clinical Medicine & Research and
Director of the Chronic Disease Research Centre.
Extramural
coordination is done through the Director of the School for
Continuing Studies, Professor Lawrence Carrington.
Mrs.
Maxine Ruddock-Small is the Project Officer in UWI HARP Coordinating
Unit in Jamaica.
Membership
Click
on the campus links below for more information on the membership
of the UWI HARP Committee.
Cave
Hill Campus, Barbados | Mona
Campus, Jamaica | St.
Augustine Campus, Trinidad
The
SIRHASC Project
What
is SIRHASC?
GOAL:
To reduce the spread and impact of HIV/AIDS in the fifteen
African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) countries of the Caribbean.
PURPOSE:
To strengthen regional capacity to plan and coordinate an
effective response to the HIV/AIDS/STI epidemic in the Caribbean
in the worst affected countries
OUTPUTS:
An increased pool of appropriately skilled personnel able
to contribute to effective policy development, planning and
implementation of HIV/AIDS/STI programmes
Increased regional awareness of the benefits, costs and operational
feasibility of interventions to reduce mother-to-child transmission
of HIV.
An expanded and effective regional network of people living
with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA’s) in six countries advocating
for improved care and support and contributing to national
policy development.
Improved regional capacity to design, implement and evaluate
interventions to reduce high risk behaviour related to the
spread of HIV infection.
More comprehensive and accurate information on the course,
consequences and cost of the epidemic through improved surveillance,
monitoring and evaluation of national control programmes through
operational research.
PARTICIPATING
COUNTRIES:
Antigua
and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican
Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis,
Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad
and Tobago
EXECUTING AGENCY:
CARICOM
Secretariat
CARICOM
provides the necessary project planning, management, oversight,
reporting and accounting services. CARICOM also leads the
process of regional policy development, using existing cross-sectoral
regional policy development structures. A special Project
Implementation Unit has been set up within CARICOM to work
with the implementing agencies to establish consolidated annual
work programmes, budgets and review/reporting mechanisms.
IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES & THEIR ROLES:
University of the West Indies (UWI)
The
UWI will focus on a long-term effort to expand the skills
base in the Caribbean through support to research and training
in particularly the health, economic and communication aspects
of HIV/AIDS. Curriculum review will ensure that relevant training
courses in health, social studies, health economics and communication/media
include current information on HIV/AIDS.
Caribbean Epidemiological Centre (CAREC)
CAREC
will provide the lead support to countries in: building sustainable
epidemiological systems; developing skills to design interventions
to prevent the spread of STI and HIV; advising on the most
effective and efficient public health strategies for HIV control;
reviewing the experience and operational feasibility of extension
of mother-to-child transmission programmes and in promoting
the exchange of epidemiological information and programme
experience across the region. CAREC’s capacity to train
national AIDS programme staff and its central role in gathering,
analysing and sharing information on the epidemic will be
strengthened.
Caribbean
Health Research Council (CHRC)
The
CHRC will coordinate independent assessments of the progress
of the regional response to HIV/AIDS by carrying out 2 annual
reviews of National AIDS Programmes, reports of which are
presented to the Project Advisory Group. The CHRC also administers
funds to support relevant HIV/AIDS/STI related operations
research within the region.
Caribbean Regional Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS
(CRN+)
CRN+,
the only regional institution representing the aspirations
of HIV+ persons will work to develop a regional network of
people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA’s) in three countries
where national groups exists and in three new countries where
they are most needed. The project will enable CRN+ to establish
an office, train HIV+ counsellors and participate in regional
and national HIV/AIDS policy fora in an effort to address
the marginalisation of PLWHA’s from policy-making, programme
design and care initiatives.
United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
The project will support UNAIDS’ effort to foster regional
exchanges of experience and will fund Technical Assistants
to support the AIDS control programmes in Haiti, Guyana and
the Dominican Republic. Teaching Assistants will be in a position
to access international best practice in policy and programming
to promote a multi-sectoral response to HIV/AIDS in these
countries as well as to mobilise UN co-sponsor support.
FUNDING
AGENCY:
European
Union
PROJECT STAFF:
Mr.
Carl F. Browne – Project Manager, Mr. Collin McG. Kirton
– Administrator/Accountant,
Ms. Ingrid Sarabo – Administrative Assistant, Ms. Ruthann
Hestick – Clerk/Stenographer
Project
Implementation Unit
CARICOM Secretariat
57 High Street
Kingston
Georgetown, Guyana
Phone 592:223-9016
592:223-9030
592:226-4148
Fax: 592:223-9012
E-mail: sirhasc@caricom.org
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