Belize to Analyze HIV/AIDS Services

Belize is carrying out a comprehensive situation analysis of HIV/AIDS care and treatment in the country, following its introduction more than a year ago of free antiretroviral therapy, voluntary counseling, and testing.

The situation analysis is the first step in a major effort by Belize to scale up care and treatment as part of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization's (PAHO/WHO) "3 by 5" initiative, which seeks to get 3 million people worldwide on antiretroviral treatment by the end of 2005.

PAHO, the Global AIDS Program of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and PAHO's Caribbean Epidemiology Center (CAREC) are providing technical cooperation in support of the study, which is being carried out by Belize's National AIDS Program.

The study will assess Belize's current HIV/AIDS care and treatment program, using outcome indicators set forth as part of the Millennium Development Goals. It will identify gaps and make recommendations for improving and providing comprehensive, integrated, and quality services to people living with HIV/AIDS.

The results will be used to develop a National Operation Plan for Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment. Belize is expected to receive support from the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria to support these scaling-up efforts.

Other important components of the Belize strategy include:

• A Human Resource Strategic Plan for Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment in Belize
• A Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, with Indicators, for Comprehensive HIV/ AIDS Care and Treatment in Belize
• A feasibility study of an HIV/AIDS Information System for Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment.