“Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response”
As the world marks World AIDS Day 2025, we are reminded that the global HIV/AIDS response continues to face serious disruption. Sudden reductions in funding and interruptions in vital services have placed immense pressure on programmes worldwide. As part of the global community, we stand in solidarity with our partners who are navigating these challenges.
At the same time, I am deeply proud of the work being done here in The Bahamas. Our government, independent of external support, continues to provide free, life-saving medication, HIV testing, and access to PrEP and PEP. This unwavering commitment ensures that our people have the tools they need to protect their health and wellbeing.
At the Bahamas AIDS Foundation, we remain steadfast in our partnership in this national and global response. We continue to strengthen our educational initiatives, support people living with HIV through holistic care and treatment services, and working closely with vulnerable populations to ensure that together with our partners, no one is left behind.
This year also marks a significant milestone: 40 years since the first HIV diagnosis in The Bahamas. In those four decades, we witnessed extraordinary progress in medicine, science, and research. Today, more Bahamians have access to life-saving treatment, more are living longer and healthier lives, and little by little the stigma surrounding HIV is diminishing. Yet, despite these achievements, our work is far from finished. HIV and AIDS continue to impact many in our country, and it remains our shared responsibility to ensure that every individual receives the care, support, and the dignity they deserve.
I am also proud to announce several new efforts that expand our reach and strengthen our impact. We have invested in HIV self-testing kits to make knowing one’s status easier and more accessible. We continue to enhance our outreach and education programmes to increase public awareness of PrEP, PEP, and antiretroviral treatment. And we have redesigned our Foundation’s website, including the creation of a QR code that will appear across multiple media platforms, serving as a vital gateway to information and resources for anyone seeking care, support, or prevention tools.
As we reflect on the progress made and the challenges ahead, let us recommit ourselves to a unified, compassionate, and resilient response. On this World AIDS Day we commemorate the lives of those lost, we celebrate those that are thriving while living with HIV and we gaze towards a future free of HIV/AIDS. Together, we will continue to overcome disruption and transform the future of the AIDS response in The Bahamas and beyond.
