The Jamaica Network of Seropositives (JN+) has certified the Kingston & St Andrew municipality as a stigma-free space.

The municipality, with the resounding support of Mayor Delroy Williams, has piloted this initiative as part of its mandate to eradicate HIV-related stigma and discrimination in the city of Kingston.

Imega Breese McNab, executive director of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), expressed her group’s wholehearted support for this initiative.

“This could not have come at a better time. It is critical that our citizens empathise and have room for each other, accepting our differences as individuals,” she noted.

The experiences of businesses locally and internationally have shown that a diverse and inclusive workforce increases productivity, said Breese McNab.

In his address, Mayor of Kingston Delroy Williams noted that the City of Kingston was happy to take on this initiative.

“People don’t understand how important ending stigma and discrimination is to ending HIV in the city of Kingston,” he asserted.

The mayor added that the project has the full participation and commitment of the municipality as we work together to end discrimination.  

In Jamaica, HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination is widespread and affects individuals living with and affected by the virus.

The 2019 HIV Stigma Index 2.0 conducted by the Jamaican Network of Seropositives revealed that 33 per cent of persons living with HIV in Jamaica experience stigma and discrimination. 

In 2019, the Caribbean Research Policy Institute (CAPRI) also found that Jamaica spends an additional US$424 million for HIV treatment each year due to stigma and discrimination.

In response to these findings, Project Lead of JN+ Kimberly Roach endorsed, “The partnership with UNAIDS Jamaica in developing the Stigma-Free Spaces Project to reduce HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination in various public and private spaces, and to offer policy guidelines to equip institutions with the necessary framework to protect persons living with HIV and other vulnerable groups in Jamaica.”

The Stigma-Free Spaces Project promotes inclusive and safe spaces for persons living with HIV at varying levels in Jamaican society.

HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination should no longer be a barrier for persons living with HIV in our society, and by creating more enabling environments, these persons will be empowered to contribute to Jamaica’s development without prejudice.