Spouses of CARICOM leaders receive grant from Gilead Sciences Inc.

By BBN Staff: The Spouses of CARICOM Leaders Action Network (SCLAN) announce the receipt of the first tranche of grant funding from Gilead Sciences Inc. to facilitate the establishment of the SCLAN Secretariat.

The SCLAN secretariat will be housed in Belize and for two demonstration projects in Belize and Guyana. 

SCLAN welcomed Elizabeth Murray from Gilead Sciences Inc. to their new office located in Belize City.

She presented the Chair of SCLAN, Kim Simplis-Barrow and Ramon Figueroa, CEO, Ministry of Health with the check for the two demonstration projects in Belize and Guyana.

“This grant comes at a time when the need for sustainable health initiatives for the well-being of our vulnerable population is at an all-time high. We are very fortunate that the views and objectives of SCLAN are well aligned with those of Gilead Sciences Inc,”  Barrow stated.

The partnership with Gilead Sciences Inc. aims to help expand access to HIV prevention and treatment for adolescents and young adults, particularly those at high risk for HIV infection in the Caribbean.

Ultimately, it will help the Caribbean region meet the 90-90-90 goal.

  The grant for the demonstration projects will revolutionize the approach to occurrences of new infections and to increase preventative measures to combat the contraction of HIV by more than 90%.  

SCLAN’s mission is a Caribbean free from HIV, gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy and cervical cancer, with long term goals set forth by the global community including former UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon’s Every Woman, Every Child Global Initiative and the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016-2030).