TODAY’S CARIBBEAN: DCash, HIV testing, and more on COVID-19 vaccinations
Caribbean’s digital currency to pilot by end of March
By the end of this month, the Caribbean will see the rollout and implementation of its very own digital currency.
More popularly known as DCash, this Eastern Caribbean Central Bank’s (ECCB) digital currency is a securely minted alternative to the EC dollar that offers a safer, faster, cheaper method for making payments and sending/receiving funds to and from other DCash users and merchants.
The countries participating in the ECCB’s current initiative are Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia.
In a report by the Antigua Observer, ECCB Governor Timothy Antoine has encouraged everyone to be on board.
The bank had made it clear that the DCash is not a form of cryptocurrency.
The digital currency has been launched in a bid to address the relative high cost of current payment methods and banking services, and the inadequacy of banking services in addressing the needs of various customers, among others.
Consumers can sign up to use DCash either through a participating financial institution or via an authorised DCash agent.
In October 2020, The Bahamas launched its own digital currency called the Sand Dollar, which was accessible via a mobile application. The food items in restaurants were among the first to be bought using it.
Over 8,000 Grenadians receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine
One month after receiving its supply of COVID-19 vaccines, Grenada has administered 8,606 shots to its citizens.
These Grenadians, including top officials of its government, have received the first dose of AstraZeneca. The country’s goal is to have 60 percent of its 112,000-strong nation be vaccinated by June/July 2021.
At present, the vaccine is available at health centres and in temporary health tents setup at strategic locations that can be easily accessed by the citizens.
Grenada’s Health Minister Nickolas Steele is scheduled to receive his second dose by the end of the month. Steel expressed his disappointment on a number healthcare workers who rare either delaying or refusing to be vaccinated, while at the same time administering the vaccine to those who are choosing to obtain the added protection.
HIV self-testing during COVID-19 highly encouraged, experts say
In a bid to ensure that HIV diagnosis does not decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates have launched the In Your Hands HIV self-testing campaign.
A survey conducted by the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) showed that in 2020, the facility- and community-based HIV testing services were reduced in 69% of countries due to COVID-19.
But even before the pandemic, the Caribbean was not able to achieve the 90% testing target. In 2019, only 77% of the Caribbean residents with HIV knew about their HIV status.
“This decline means that people with undiagnosed HIV are not getting life-saving antiretroviral treatment and, of course, continue to be unaware of their HIV status, with the risk of potentially exposing others,” said Sandra Jones, PAHO’s Technical Advisor for HIV/STI, TB & Viral Hepatitis in the Caribbean.
According to the further studies and surveys, men are less aware of their HIV status, which makes it more likely for them to be diagnosed late. In fact, in 2019, 85% of Caribbean women living with HIV were aware of their HIV status, compared to just 72% of men.
There is also a need to increase testing coverage among members of key populations, “who have reduced access to HIV services due to stigma and discrimination.”
PANCAP Director, Rosmond Adams, is still hopeful. “The COVID-19 pandemic has presented the opportunity for us to explore new and innovative approaches that are result-oriented.”