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<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://buzz-caribbean.com/app/uploads/2019/08/Ainsley-Reid-HIV-AIDS-support-1024x683.jpg" alt=" Ainsley Reid, the coordinator for the Greater Involvement of Persons Living with HIV at the National Family Planning Board. " class="wp-image-6678" /><figcaption> Ainsley Reid, the coordinator for the Greater Involvement of Persons Living with HIV at the National Family Planning Board. </figcaption></figure>
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<p>Persons living with
HIV/AIDS are being encouraged to participate in support groups that are working
towards reducing the level of stigmatisation against persons with the virus, in
an effort to ultimately improve their outcomes.</p>
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<p>The Greater
Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS Coordinator at the National Family
Planning Board, Ainsley Reid, said that several initiatives have been
undertaken to ensure that persons who are living with HIV are not
disenfranchised.</p>
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<p>“We created a
programme called ‘The Positive Health Dignity and Prevention Curriculum’, and
we use it to train persons who are now serving at different levels in the HIV
response,” he said, adding that some are working as community facilitators, and
others are representing their communities on various boards.</p>
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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><p>“We are currently partnering with the Jamaica Council of Churches to roll out an anti-stigma programme."</p><cite>—  Ainsley Reid </cite></blockquote>
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<p>Reid said that his team also works closely with other agencies. “We are currently partnering with the Jamaica Council of Churches to roll out an anti-stigma programme which will deal with building the capacity of church leaders and congregants so that they can be agents of change in their communities,” he said.</p>
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<p>Additionally, he
said there is an ongoing programme with the Social Development Commission (SDC)
where general community leaders are trained to influence conversations around
social acceptance and working with people living with HIV.</p>
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<p>The coordinator also
shared that “another aspect of that programme is our work with the Office of
the Public Defender to create more awareness around human rights and to
influence how we treat each other from a position of dignity and respect.”</p>
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