The most recent figures emerging out of UNAids on the state of what is called the "general epidemic" of HIV and Aids in T&T indicate that the number of people being infected with HIV is on the increase: 1,284 in 2012, compared to 1,077 in 2011. There has also been an increase in Aids-related deaths from 42 in 2011 to 55 in 2012, states the report.
However, UNAids is not about to push the panic button in relation to what is happening here. The report prefers at this time to say what is required at present is that "more research needs to be done to determine whether this increase is a cause for concern or whether this is attributable to increased prevention efforts, increased reporting due to increase testing sites, data quality, or some other issue."
Nonetheless, any increase in the figures of those who have contracted the virus and deaths from related infections, when the trend was downwards in a previous period, must trigger action.
As pointed out by the UNAids report, when the life of the National Aids Co-ordinating Committee came to an end in 2010, a replacement co-ordinating body did not come into existence till 2013, with effective start-up not happening till January 2014. And while the Ministry of Health and other ministries were implementing the response to the epidemic during that period, the absence of a co-ordinating body to do the work previously done by the NACC must have hampered the outreach programme.
What the UNAids report is certain about is that the stigma and discrimination which continue against people living with HIV (PLHIV) are hindering efforts to control its spread.
"This is particularly true in T&T as there is a deficit of laws to protect the human rights of PLHIV and myths and misconceptions about HIV and Aids are rampant and fuel stigma and discrimination," says the UNAids Global Response report for 2014.
And the report identifies "the lack of legislation to provide avenues for redress for PLHIV in critical areas such as employment, housing and health services for example, cases of discrimination remain primarily anecdotal," as a major factor in the spread of the virus.
Further, because of the fear of further discrimination through disclosure of their status, PLHIV are reluctant to approach the courts, and such discriminatory practices are not catered for by the Equal Opportunities Commission.
As could be expected, the discrimination places at even greater high risk groups such as men who have sex with men (MSM), immigrant groups and other such people usually living on the margins.
While T&T, understandably, in the last ten years has focused on the explosion in chronic non-communicable diseases relating to heart conditions, diabetes, hypertension and cancers (and now the new threat of Ebola) there can be no slippage on a disease that has resulted in the death of 39 million worldwide from Aids-related illnesses and with 35 million living with HIV.
Tackling issues such as the decriminalisation of same-sex relationships is admittedly not easy, as the views of individuals and religious groups must be respected. But the country cannot continue to duck the difficult issue, as Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar recently did in New York. In this way the continuing failure to respect the human rights of certain groups, which leads to stigma and discrimination, can have devastating consequences that can affect the whole society.