"High HIV Prevalence in Saint Lucia: Nearly 1000 Affected"
Saint Lucia has nearly 1,000 people living with HIV, with a decrease in new cases in 2023 compared to the previous year. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar-George revealed that 57% of those living with HIV are male, and there were 26 new HIV cases diagnosed in 2023, representing a 32% decrease from 2022. Additionally, there was a spike in Leprosy cases, prompting the development of a draft national action plan to eliminate the disease, which includes an educational public health campaign, intensive contact tracing, re-training of health care workers, increased testing, and more aggressive treatment.
