The Ministry of Health and Wellness, on Monday, November 25, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) solidifying the Fast Track City Plus Programme.
The Fast Track Cities initiative is a global partnership between cities and municipalities around the world and four core partners – The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the City of Paris.
The programme was initially launched on World AIDS Day 2014 with a commitment to attaining and surpassing the UNAIDS’s 90-90-90 and other Fast-Track targets by 2020, as a means of getting a zero new HIV infections and zero AIDS-related deaths. The initiative also prioritize the elimination of HIV-related stigma and discrimination with hopes of removing a significant barrier to people living with and affected by HIV, accessing and utilizing HIV services.
In Jamaica, it is estimated that 27% of persons living with HIV resides in Kingston. The city also has the highest case rate of 73/100,000 population and the second highest death rate at 0.37/100,000 population.
In addition to HIV/AIDS efforts, the partnership will also focus on NCDs, Environmental and Mental Health.