SLBMC Urges Urgent HIV Awareness Push Amid Steady Infection Rates and Rising Teen Cases

As Antigua and Barbuda marks World AIDS Day 2025, the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre is calling for an intensified national HIV awareness campaign and stronger stakeholder collaboration, citing stagnant infection rates and a worrying rise among adolescents.

According to SLBMC, the country continues to record between 45 and 51 new HIV diagnoses each year, a level that has remained unchanged for more than a decade.

“For a population of about 100,000, this is a concerningly high number,” said Dr. Margrethe Belle, Specialist in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. “We would have hoped to see a decline in new infections, but instead we’re roughly at the same level we were ten years ago.”

Health officials are especially alarmed by new infections among 15–19-year-olds, with five cases reported in 2024 — a demographic that previously registered almost none.

“Seeing this increase among our adolescents is heartbreaking,” Dr. Belle said. “We need to empower them with information and ensure they’re equipped to take charge of their own health.”

SLBMC also reports more patients being admitted with advanced HIV/AIDS, indicating late diagnosis or inconsistent treatment. Dr. Belle stressed that early testing and proper care can prevent serious illness.

“People living with HIV should expect to become virally suppressed within months of starting treatment,” she explained. “When someone remains virally suppressed, they will not become sick or die from HIV, and they cannot transmit the virus sexually.”

The hospital emphasized the critical role of the AIDS Secretariat in outreach, education, and community-based prevention.

“The partnership with the AIDS Secretariat is essential,” Dr. Belle noted. “When people get tested early, when they understand their risk, that saves lives long before anyone needs a hospital bed.”

Residents are encouraged to participate in World AIDS Day activities, including the HIV Symposium at the Multipurpose Centre on October 26 and Teen Talk on October 28, designed to provide age-appropriate guidance for adolescents.

SLBMC says its World AIDS Day message focuses on prevention, early diagnosis, and empowerment, not fear. The hospital reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Ministry of Health, the AIDS Secretariat, and national partners to reduce stigma, improve access to testing, and strengthen care for people living with HIV.

World AIDS Day is observed annually on December 1, with SLBMC extending appreciation to healthcare workers, community advocates, and organizations supporting the national response.