The Guyana Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS will be formally launched as an independent organisation on Friday.
According to a press release from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) President Bharrat Jagdeo will officiate at the event along with ScotiaBank Country Director Amanda St Aubyn. The function will host local private and public sector officials, members of the diplomatic corps, press and regional and international guests.
The Coalition is a rapidly expanding alliance of organisations dedicated to mitigating the effects of HIV in workplaces and communities. The event will be co-branded by the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria – a global organisation dedicated to harnessing the power of the private sector to help identify and develop breakthrough interventions that help to target the said infections in the workplace and community.
USAID said recognising that Guyana has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the Pan Caribbean region, it funded the Guyana HIV/AIDS Prevention and Reduction Project (GHARP) in partnership with the health ministry. It said this partnership over the last three years helped to develop the strategy and framework for the Coalition. USAID said the project started with a few partners in 2005 and has expanded to 43 organisations and during the past three years the partners have organised themselves as the Private Sector Advisory Board; the precursor to the Coalition.
The release said the Coalition launch follows the Second Awards Event and Dinner set for Thursday at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel. Through the Awards programme, the Coalition and the ministry “aims to recognise the valuable contribution made by individual organisations and their leaders in their response to HIV/AIDS.”
The formal launch will help with the development of a “more coordinated framework for all to share their voices, best practices, expertise and resources, – as well as an opportunity for the Coalition to continue sharing their model practices in the region,” USAID said.
The event will be hosted at the International Conference Centre at 9 am.
