Statements and Webcast
Kuwait
H. E. Mrs. Hind Alshoumer, Adviser at the Ministry for Health
10 June 2011
- Statement: English (Check against delivery)
Statement Summary
HIND AL-SHOMER, Adviser at the Ministry of Health of Kuwait, said the international community should be pleased with progress made thus far, but “we have to acknowledge that much remains to be done to achieve goals outlined in the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the 2006 Political Declaration”. Since the diagnosis of the first HIV case, Kuwait had formed a multisectoral AIDS committee through a ministerial decree, which developed a strategic plan focused on education, prevention and treatment. A law also had been devised that provided for pre-marital HIV testing for couples. It did not deter people from marrying, she added.
Among other efforts, Kuwait also had hosted four HIV/AIDS conferences in the last two decades, she said, and it had undertaken research to understand the behaviour of the virus. To ensure blood safety, all donations were screened for HIV and other infections. Kuwait’s protocol to treat HIV was in line with guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Mother-to-child transmission was addressed through early treatment for HIV-positive mothers. Kuwait also helped other nations, she said, underlining that the Government would donate $500,000 to the Global Fund. It also had submitted a report in 2010 on the HIV/AIDS situation in Kuwait, which contained ideas for implementing its strategic plan to combat the epidemic.
Source: GA/11093