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| President GCCI, Vishnu Doerga |
Head of the Roman Catholic Church in
Guyana, Bishop Francis Alleyne, PEPFAR Guyana Country Coordinator, Ms.
Stephanie Joseph de Goes, other members of the diplomatic community, government
officials, civil society representatives, ladies, gentlemen, boy and girls,
good evening to you all.
The International AIDS Candlelight Memorial
brings together affected communities, policy makers, health professionals,
religious leaders and members of the public to show solidarity and support for
persons infected and affected by HIV; to encourage people to continue to act
together, and to call on the public to end stigma and discrimination against
people living with HIV, and key affected populations.
As President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), I fully endorse this year’s theme which is “Engage, Educate, Empower.” I do believe that it is imperative to engage people, communities, governments, donors and the private sector in ending the epidemic. The private sector has a pivotal role to play in limiting the spread of HIV. An important avenue to ensure that this happens is through workplace education. We have a responsibility to educate the current and next generation about HIV prevention, treatment and care, and how it affects our lives.
