The Caribbean is making real strides in the fight against HIV. Since 2010, new infections have dropped by twenty-one percent, and AIDS-related deaths have fallen by an impressive sixty-two percent. But while the numbers are encouraging, the full picture is more complex. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
“The Caribbean has made real progress in the fight against HIV. Since 2010, new infections have dropped by twenty-one percent, and AIDS-related deaths are down sixty-two percent. But behind those numbers lies a more complex story. According to UNAIDS, about three hundred and forty thousand people in the region are living with HIV. Most know their status, and many are receiving treatment, but not everyone. Children and men are less likely to be on treatment or have their virus under control compared to women. Young people aged fifteen to twenty-four make up a quarter of the new infections, often because they lack access to prevention services designed for them. And for key groups, like gay men, transgender people, and sex workers, the risk remains extremely high. In some countries, HIV rates among transgender people reach a staggering sixty percent. Money is another challenge. Over two-thirds of HIV funding in the region comes from international donors. That means programs are vulnerable if that support dries up. Haiti, for example, relies almost entirely on outside funding. Legal and social barriers also stand in the way. While some countries have decriminalized same-sex relationships, others, including Trinidad and Tobago, still criminalize them. Sex work and drug possession are also illegal in most places, making it harder for people to get the help they need. The Caribbean has come a long way, but the fight isn’t over.”
We also spoke with Indira Loague, Director of the Department of Youth Services, who encouraged young people to prioritize healthy eating, active living, and mental well-being. Acknowledging the youth’s attachment to technology, she emphasized the importance of raising awareness about maintaining a healthy body, stating that without it, they may struggle to achieve their goals.
Indira Loague
Indira Loague, Director of the Department of Youth Services
“They need to determine what are their goals, what do they want to be in the future how sustainable they want to be my message to them would be since we are promoting a healthy life style eat healthy live a healthy life style, take care of your mental health, get the help that you need at the department we offer several mechanisms that we can put in place to help you reach your fullest potential, reach your goals especially when it comes to promoting a healthy life style you know like I said in my remarks, pick up a basketball other than picking up the phone.”
This collaborative effort between UNICEF, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, and the Department of Youth Services reflects Belize’s ongoing commitment to early intervention and building resilience in youth. Together, through awareness, education, and community engagement, we can build a healthier, stronger future for Belize’s youth.
The United Nations is calling on the Caribbean to boost its efforts in the fight to end AIDS. Earlier this month, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS released a publication that revealed that since the United States pulled funding from the Global Fund, eighty percent of HIV treatment facilities are struggling to keep their doors open. Largely affected are civil society organizations, which conduct outreach and prevention programs. The UN is urging governments across the region to prioritize supporting these organizations as they play a pivotal role in HIV care. News Five ‘s Britney Gordon reports.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
For decades, the Caribbean has been making real progress in the fight against HIV—fewer deaths, fewer new infections, and more people getting the care they need. But that progress is now under serious threat. Right now, over three hundred and forty thousand people in the region are living with HIV. Every single day, forty-one more are newly infected, and fourteen lose their lives. And just as we need to push harder, a major source of support has been pulled away. The United States has withdrawn its funding from the Global Fund, a move that’s hitting civil society organizations the hardest. These are the groups on the front lines, doing the outreach, the education, the prevention work. And now, many of them are struggling to stay afloat.
Richard Amenyah
Dr. Richard Amenyah, Multi-country Director, UNAIDS
“ It’s not just a data point. These are real people who are impacted. These are real communities who are impacted. These are geographic areas of people who are being left behind, who are impacted. For UNAIDS and PANCAP, we decided to have a better understanding of this situation and to also see how has this funding can directly impacted the beneficiaries as well. And we see there’s a lot of mental health issues. If I know HIV is not curable. And I need to be on my medications every day. And I require social support for certain services that may not be directly be delivered by the health system. Then I need to depend on civil society groups to be able to do some of these things.”
Civil society organizations play a quiet but crucial role in HIV treatment. Every day, diagnosed patients battle against stigma, shame and other mental health struggles. Kimberly Simpson shares how the community often leans on each other through these organizations for support.
Voice of: Kimberly Simpson
Voice of: Kimberly Simpson, HIV Positive
“Yes, we have a group where we support each other and stuff like that. And there are times we have our meetings and we would discuss certain things but like I said, when it come to that part, no longer having that to help us or support us, I know it will be difficult to each one of us. Some of us might be afraid to admit it or say that but it will be difficult because not everyone is brave like me.”
For more than twenty years, countries across the region, including Belize, have been providing life-saving HIV treatment. And in 2023, Belize reached a major milestone by eliminating mother-to-child transmission of the virus. But while medical progress is clear, changing public attitudes is still a work in progress. Chair of the National AIDS Commission, Dolores Balderamos-García, says the government and the commission are working hard to support people living with HIV—not just with medicine, but with compassion and care.
Dolores Balderaos-Garcia
Dolores Balderaos-Garcia, Chair, National Aids Commission
“The Ministry of Health now is fully on board with the National AIDS Commission in utilizing what we call differentiated service models. And why do I call it differentiated service models? Because not everybody might want to go to the clinic, especially if you’re a gay man or if you are selling sex. The stigma and discrimination is still such that. There are some persons in the, what we call the key vulnerable populations who may not want to be out there going to a clinic. And even if it is not absolutely real, the perception of the stigma and discrimination is still significant, even though we’ve been fighting this thing for over thirty-five years.”
Dr. Richard Amenyah stresses that while the region has been making progress, civil society organizations cannot be forgotten from their strategy. He stresses the need to engage the NGOs with the health systems, facilitate training, and build capacity for outreach.
Dr. Richard Amenyah
“We know civil society organizations, their support for the HIV response. It’s largely within the area of HIV prevention. Working in trying to strengthen community partnership, engagement, advocacy and addressing issues around human right stigma and discrimination and all those wraparound elements which impact structurally and socially On the HIV response. HIV is not just a health issue where you just take medications, but it’s also about community support, peer support, and community solidarity. And so we decided to find out how has this pause in funding or cut in funding impacted the HIV response.”
The Caribbean’s battle against HIV isn’t just about medicine, it’s also about money. And right now, a major roadblock is staring governments in the face: debt. With international funding drying up, UNAIDS is urging regional leaders to stop looking abroad and start finding solutions at home. That means generating their own revenue to keep vital health services running, especially those led by civil society groups. National AIDS Commission Chair Dolores Balderamos-García agrees, it’s a tough but necessary step if the region wants to keep moving forward in the fight against HIV.
Dolores Balderaos-Garcia
“Guyana apparently is doing very well in their HIV fight and also countries like Trinidad and Barbados. But there are challenges in the smaller, maybe Eastern Caribbean countries. I don’t wanna speak what I don’t know because I don’t know each one individually. But looking for funding sources, we will have to look within. In my view. That’s my humble view. Now, what we are asking in terms of our ramped up and, we have to scale up our HIV response now in order to achieve the goal of 2030, that by 2030 HIV would not be a significant health threat to our people.”
The time to act is now, before the hard-earned progress achieved in the region is undine. The fight must be holistic and inclusive to ensure that HIV patients are supported in all aspects of their journey. Britney Gordon for News Five.
Belize is on high alert as the New World Screwworm continues to spread across the country. First confirmed back in January, the parasitic outbreak has now led to one hundred and sixty reported cases, affecting communities from the deep south in Toledo to as far north as Orange Walk. Chief Veterinary Officer Doctor Roxana Alvarez shared the latest update, revealing that thirty-five communities in Toledo alone have been impacted, along with dozens more in Cayo, Stann Creek, Belize, and Orange Walk Districts. While the Ministry of Agriculture has launched an aggressive surveillance and treatment campaign, new cases in Orange Walk over the past two weeks have prompted ongoing investigations.
Dr. Roxana Alvarez, Chief Veterinary Officer
“New World Screwworm was confirmed in Belize in early January 2025. Since then, we have had a cumulative total of a hundred and sixty cases. This started in Crique Sarco, in the Toledo District and has spread across southern and central Belize. At the end of epidemiological week 24/25, June 14th 2025, or last Saturday, we had thirty-five communities affected in the Toledo District, five in the Stann Creek District, twenty-nine communities in the Cayo District, four in the Belize District and four communities in the Orange Walk District. The case distribution is as follows: Toledo – ninety cases; Stann Creek – five. Cayo – fifty-seven; Belize District – five, and the Orange Walk District – two. Within the past two weeks, two cases have appeared in the Orange Walk District and the epidemiological investigation is ongoing. The delimited surveillance area is approximately three miles surrounding the affected establishments. Epidemiological investigation includes interviews, inspection of animals, treatment of all wounds found on animals in the area. So far, no additional cases have been found in the Orange Walk District and the investigation is ongoing.”
While livestock have been the primary focus, Belize’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Doctor Roxana Alvarez, is now sounding the alarm about a sharp rise in cases among pets, especially dogs. As of June fourteenth, over fifty dogs have been affected, with twenty new cases reported in just the past month. What’s even more alarming is that many pet owners aren’t spotting the infestation until it’s too late—when large, painful wounds have already formed. Authorities are urging the public to inspect their pets regularly and treat this pest with the seriousness it deserves.
Dr. Roxana Alvarez, Chief Veterinary Officer
“Extremely concerning for us is that there is a marked increase in New World Screwworm cases in pets, particularly in dogs. On June fourteenth, we had fifty-nine cases in cattle, fifty-four cases in dogs, twenty-three cases in pigs, seventeen cases in horses, five cases in sheep, and two cases in goats. Of our one hundred and sixty cumulative cases, fifty-five are active cases with wounds in the process of healing. Notably, in the past four weeks, we have had twenty new cases in dogs. Even more concerning is that the owners of these dogs seem not to be aware of when infestation occurs and only notice when there is a large, gaping wound. We are calling on all pet owners to carefully inspect their dogs and cats as diligently as small stock and livestock producers are doing. The response from producers has been positive and the spread of New World Screwworm in Belize has not been as significant as that of other Central American countries. We continue to urge producers, pet owners and the public not to take this detrimental pest lightly.”
Fighting cancer takes more than medicine, it takes a plan, a purpose, and a passionate community. Today, the Belize Cancer Society held its annual general meeting, celebrating milestones and confronting the challenges of the past year. But the big news? The launch of a bold five-year plan aimed at boosting early diagnosis and building stronger international partnerships. President Kim Simplis-Barrow says it’s all about saving lives and strengthening support for those in the fight against cancer. Here’s more from today’s event.
Kim Simplis-Barrow
Kim Simplis-Barrow, President, Belize Cancer Society
“We really focused on what we have accomplished and where we want to go, which really ties into our strategic plan for the next five years. And one of the main focus that we want to do, is we really want to focus on prevention and healthy living. It’s so very important that we start targeting or looking at our younger generations and educating them on living healthier lives. We know that when you’re diagnosed with cancer at the early stage, we it’s easily treatable than when you’re diagnosed at that late stage. And so that. It is our focus. We, of course, want to continue our partnerships with the Government of Belize, and the Ministry of Health and Wellness. We want to continue our partnerships with all our organizations that we work with, and of course with the community. It’s important that we continue to access not just local partnerships, but international partnerships. Why? Because with international partnerships, we get access to training. We get access to the equipment, we get access to helping our healthcare providers be more effective and efficient in diagnosing cancer and in, in the quickness of getting our cancer patients to care. We continue with our navigation objective, which the Cancer Society, of course, is in education institutions. We provide education. We provide a navigation process for cancer patients so that they, we all know that when we’re diagnosed with cancer, it’s overwhelming. And so whatever we can do to help a cancer patient navigate this process, it is part of our mission.”
It’s a story of connection, compassion, and community—powered by a water taxi. Caribbean Sprinter isn’t just moving passengers between islands; it’s helping save lives. In partnership with the Island Donors Squad, the company has been quietly supporting blood donation trips from Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker to Belize City. And just recently, that effort made a big difference for one beloved island resident, affectionately known as the ‘Coconut Lady.’ Thanks to quick coordination with Emmanuel Pentecostal Church and two generous donors, she received the blood she needed just in time. But the mission didn’t stop there. A donor drive at the church brought in twenty new blood donors and offered free health checks, with a few lucky participants winning hemoglobin tests from Ambergris Hope Hospital. It’s all part of a growing movement to boost voluntary blood donation across Belize. And with the next drive set for July fifth, the call is out: give blood, give hope, and help keep this life-saving momentum going.
It’s a story of struggle, strength, and the power of community. Tonight, a single mother is saying thank you, after the public stepped in to help her son get the medical care he desperately needed. Back in May, Bernadine Young opened up about her twenty-four-year-old son, Brenton Bishop, who battles mobility issues and frequent seizures. The road hasn’t been easy, but thanks to your generosity, Bernadine was able to get crucial CT scans and X-rays for her son. She says the journey is far from over, but with hope in her heart, she’s determined to get Brenton on the path to recovery.
Bernadine Young
Bernadine Young, Brenton’s Mother
“I love to say thank God for everything deep down inside, because as a mother, I did not give up. I pray, but I just want people to give me chance to just take my time. I didn’t come hurry because I was trying to get everything together. His CT scan before the CT scan was getting the paper over back from Dr. Matus. It did take one month and two weeks. So I mi have to day behind that until I get it, so I could get the quotation, so we can know how much everything come up to, because we don’t want to go back and forth. First of all, I make sure I get the two CT scan the X-ray for the back bone from the top to the tailbone and from the tailbone to the hip. From the hip to the whole right foot. So it showed that the right foot have a hole underneath when they inject it and then they bring out some spotty thing behind his feet. And that was healed from the grace of God. And me as a mother didn’t give up. I cry many nights. God knows what I went through. But thank God he’s coming along little bit by little bit. He start to walk like one step, two step, like every leg creep. It still make him progress. I will not give up until he get fully better.”
Young also plans to take Brenton to a bone specialist as soon as she has gathered the funds to do so.
Earlier this year, a major shift in U.S. foreign aid sent shockwaves across the Caribbean. In January, the United States pulled out of the Global Fund, cutting off critical grant access for health services throughout the region. And the impact has been immediate and severe. Among the hardest hit? HIV and AIDS treatment facilities, lifelines for thousands who rely on them for testing, medication, and support. Since the funding loss, eighty percent of these centers have reported disruptions in care, struggling to keep their doors open and their services running. So, what does this mean for Belizeans living with HIV? And how is the country stepping up to ensure that no one must face their diagnosis in fear or shame? News Five’s Britney Gordon has that story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Every year, HIV-related illnesses claim the lives of about six hundred and thirty thousand people around the world. And here in Belize, more than three thousand, seven hundred people are living with the virus. For them, access to life-saving treatment isn’t just important, it’s everything. But now, that access is under threat. Since the U.S. pulled its funding for HIV care in the Caribbean, the safety net that many relied on is starting to unravel. Kimberly Simpson has been living with HIV for nearly seventeen years. She says the funding cuts are more than just numbers on a page—they’re a frightening glimpse into a future where people like her may no longer get the care they need to survive.
Voice of: Kimberly Simpson
Voice of: Kimberly Simpson, HIV Positive
“ That’s our life you’re talking about, you know, without our ARVs. Eventually, your system will drop back. You know, the HIV will eventually turn into it because you’re not on treatment. And like I said, it will also put a toll on you mentally because then you know what it’s like. You know that you won’t be able to no longer get your medication, something that you need to survive off. And then imagine if you also have kids, you’re not only trying to live for yourself, but you’re trying to live for your kid. And your loved ones who is a part of your life also.”
New data is raising red flags in the fight against HIV in Belize. According to the Chair of the National AIDS Commission, only eighty percent of people living with HIV know their status, and of that group, just half are receiving the antiretroviral treatment they need to manage the virus. A recent survey by UNAIDS and PANCAP reveals that disruptions to HIV prevention and testing services are widespread across the region. These services are critical to keeping the virus under control and moving closer to the goal of ending AIDS.
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Chair, National AIDS Commission
“The global fund to fight HIV and tuberculosis, mostly HIV gets one third of its funding from the United States. Now, if they are about to cut that funding, it’s going to significantly affect the global funds’ reaction to the HIV struggle throughout the Caribbean. And I can tell you that here in Belize, although we have made some progress, we absolutely are not where we want to be.”
According to the UN, eighty percent of HIV care organizations are now facing significant reductions in services, a development that could have far-reaching consequences for those relying on consistent medical support. The situation extends beyond healthcare. Social protection services, which provide vital support to vulnerable populations, have experienced a seventy-five percent disruption. Meanwhile, sixty-seven percent of human rights groups have also been affected, raising concerns about the broader impact on civil liberties and advocacy efforts. Kendale Trapp, Executive Director of the Empower Yourself Belize Movement, acknowledged the challenges but emphasized that his organization’s core services remain intact. However, he stressed that access to medication remains critical to the overall care of individuals living with HIV.
Kendale Trapp
Kendale Trapp, Executive Director, Empower Yourself Belize Movement
“The most important part is bringing them to the real, the realization or accepting that I am HIV positive and the ARV that the Ministry of Health is providing can save your life. And that having an HIV diagnosis is not the end of the world..”
For twenty years, Belizeans have received free HIV medication, thanks to support from the Global Fund. But now, with a third of that funding cut, the government is figuring out how to keep this critical care going. The silver lining? A backup plan has been in the works. Since the Global Fund reviews its support every cycle, Belize knew this day might come and has been preparing for the possibility of losing the grant entirely.
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia
“The National AIDS Commission, along with the Ministry of Health, we have put up a cabinet paper. And basically what we’re saying in that paper is we are asking for all hands to come back on deck. Because we have a still a serious situation on our hands and we need everybody to cooperate. Asking of course for the cooperation of key ministries, education, human development, and especially the Ministry of Health. And then of course our community service organizations and NGOs.”
Living with HIV comes with its challenges, from social discrimination to the physical toll on the body. Kimberly hopes that a financial burden does not become an additional stress.
Kimberly Simpson
“Imagine I’m already there early in the morning, tired, sometimes hungry, because then you know you have to wait to go and do tests or whatever like that, and then it’s a bit stressful. You get frustrated. Sometimes I find myself even wanting to give up, like, you know, I should just go home and just leave it at that. But then when I think about how far I’ve come, I just try to gather the strength to get that patient. But not everyone is like me”
Regional leaders need to step up now, before we see a rise in HIV deaths or new infections. These treatment centers aren’t just clinics; they’re the heart of the fight against HIV. Without them, the entire response system starts to fall apart.
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia
“We did bring to the attention of the Prime Minister and Cabinet that where the funding may reduce or dry up from the global fund countries will have to step up and fill that gap. And like I said, a third of the funding of the global fund comes from the United States. So we have to be prepared in all our Caribbean countries, not just Belize. We have to be prepared now to step up and fill the gap, the funding gap. That is likely to happen.”
The U.S. pulling back its support from the Global Fund has left a huge gap and it’s one we simply can’t afford to ignore. If we don’t act fast, we risk losing decades of hard-won progress in reducing HIV-related deaths and slowing the spread of the virus across the region. Britney Gordon for News Five.
When it comes to improving healthcare, there’s one tool that’s often overlooked but absolutely essential, data. From tracking disease trends to shaping smarter policies and even developing new treatments, data is the backbone of a strong health system. That’s why this week, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization, brought together health sector stakeholders for a two-day datathon right here in Belize City. The idea is to get everyone on board with a unified, ‘One Health’ data platform, one that connects the dots between human, animal, and environmental health. News Five’s Paul Lopez was there and has more on how this data-driven approach could transform the way Belize tackles health challenges.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Right now, the Ministry of Health and Wellness uses the Belize Health Information System to track health data, but it doesn’t include information from all the health organizations across the country. That’s a big gap when it comes to making smart decisions about public health. To fix that, the Ministry has teamed up with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to host a two-day datathon. It aims to bring everyone together and work toward a single, unified platform where all health data can be shared and used to guide better policies and services. Leading the charge is Dr. Andrei Chell, the Director of Policy Analysis, who says this is a big step toward a more connected and informed health system for Belize.
Andrei Chell
Dr. Andrei Chell, Director of Policy Analysis, MOHW
“The main objective of this datathon is to put the ministry of health as the stewards of health data governance. So we are trying to look at digital health transformation. We are moving towards that digital era of modernizing our health system. We as a ministry has that mandate to ensure what data we collect meets the quality of what we need and that data will inform our policies, our actions, which translates to the better health outcome we want to give to the entire Belizean population.”
In September 2024, the Ministry of Health and Wellness launched its Clinical Data Exchange Platform. The web-based system provides access to institutions and organizations across the country to input key health data on a single platform. Digital Focal Point at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Juan Carlos Sarabia shared more.
Juan Carlos Sarabia
Juan Carlos Sarabia, Digital Health Focal Point, MOHW
“This datathon we are doing for these two days helps a lot because it is also to introduce to the different stakeholders and ministries and units that we do have a system where data exchange can happen. And it is not just the exchange of data, it is also to create dashboard, reports and KPIs for the different institutions and ministry of health and wellness. Having a full understanding of what is going on in the country, especially with health is good for us and this system does provide us with the capacity to do so in a timely manner.”
Dr. Andrei Chell
“Being that this is the first datathon, of course there will be more collaborations with PAHO and these institutions. But a long-term goal is to create that multisectoral collaboration, strengthen that multi sectoral collaboration. As I mentioned, it is not only the job of the ministry of health but all our partners here today. The goal is to strengthen health governance, to strengthen digital health transformation.”
So, what exactly are public health experts collecting when it comes to health data and how much of it should be shared on one national platform? That’s the big question at the center of this week’s discussions. Of course, some people might be wondering, ‘Is my personal health information safe?’ It’s a fair concern. But according to Sarabia, there’s no need to worry, security is a top priority.
Juan Carlos Sarabia
“So the CDEP was built in a very secured platform, meaning that different institutions will have to subscribe to it in order to access data. And it is not just access to data. It is what agreement can be made with eh ministry of health and wellness as to what data can be shared about the patient. They way the system is built, it is hosted in the CITO network. It is difficult for any data breach to happen. They have high security. CDEP does come with a user access, authentication and audit. We do control who is able to access, when, and even audit. We control what the users are doing with the system.”
Dr. Chell made it clear: the big goal here is to make sure the ministry takes the lead when it comes to managing and protecting the country’s health data. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
