US$15,000 granted to assist high risk Jamaican population

The NCDA is among several organisations to benefit from the AHF’s emergency grant put in place to ensure continuity of operations and mitigate the challenges posed to safe operations by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by supporting the purchase of PPEs, sanitizers and providing testing for their target populations.

Caribbean Regional Director of the AHF, Dr. Kevin Harvey, says the organisation “wanted to ensure that the vital work the NCDA carries out to support street persons and drug abusers was not curtailed by lack of resources to procure the additional safety supplies for staff and the homeless.”

Executive Director of the NCDA, Michael Tucker says the money will be used to assist with testing and counselling, help with medical treatment, transportation for emergency medical assistance.

“We also wanted to ensure that our officers are properly protected against COVID-19 and any other infectious diseases and also not in a position to spread infections themselves so a part of the funds will go towards buying personal protective equipment for them,” Mr. Tucker explained.

He said the work with this group is important because of the possibility of significant impact on them and the general population. “Some of these persons are in need of basic resources such as food and if they get desperate enough they may turn to crime. We are trying to prevent that,” he said.

Mr. Tucker said the NCDA appreciates the support from the AHF especially since the grant funding comes at a time when funds for HIV/AIDS programmes are drying up. “Funding from the Global Fund comes to an end in December this year and the Government is already supporting much of the activities in this area. We are looking into how to incorporate these into our routine programmes while we continue to seek support from organisations like the AHF so that we can continue the work,” he said.

Since last year, the AHF has distributed over US$250,000 to community organisations as part of efforts to assist persons affected by COVID-19 as well as other relief efforts to vulnerable populations including those living with HIV and AIDS.

The AHF fund has supported programmes at the La Victoria Prison in the Dominican Republic the prison system in Haiti, the correctional services department in Jamaica and CHARES CLINIC.

Some of the other organisations in Jamaica that received assistance include the Larry Chang Foundation, Jamaica AIDS Support for Life and the Jamaican Network of Seropositives (JN+). Regionally, the beneficiary groups include HIV/AIDS Survivors Benefit Foundation, in the Bahamas; the Medical Research Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago; and COIN, MOSCTHA, CEPROSH and Light a Candle Foundation in the Dominican Republic as well as the Ministry of Health in Haiti.