President Danny Faure, Patron of the National AIDS Council, chaired the first meeting of the third National AIDS Council Board at State House this morning.

The new Board was appointed in August this year and comprises of multi-sectoral members, some of whom were reappointed and others who are newly appointed members for a period of 3 years. During the meeting, the President formally welcomed the board members under the new chairpersonship of Dr Agnes Chetty.

During the session this morning, members were presented with an overview of the local HIV, AIDS and Hepatitis situation by the CEO of the National AIDS Council, Dr Anne Gabriel, who is also a member of the Board. She covered five key components in her presentation: Testing and Counselling, Prevention of New Infections, Treatment and Viral Suppression, Zero Stigma and Discrimination, and Sustaining an Enabling Environment. Monitoring and Evaluation is incorporated across all 5 areas.

The meeting was also an opportunity to brainstorm strategies moving forward as well as discuss a new course of action in light of the exigencies of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussions also centred on raising greater awareness through communication strategies.

The President thanked the members for their commitment and renewed engagement on the Board. He noted that Seychelles has been battling HIV/AIDS for over 40 years since the first case was recorded in 1987. He urged Board members to remain focused on their mandate whilst the country faces the fall-out of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that the need to come together and work together is more urgent than ever.

Members of the new National Aids Council Board are:

Chairperson – Dr Agnes Chetty

Members – Dr Anne Gabriel, Dr Bernard Valentin, Dr Jude Gedeon, Farida Andre, Winnie Low-Wah, Morison Julie, Thelma Pool, Beryl Young Dodin, Rev. Christine Benoit, Justin Freminot, Tessa Henderson, Francoise Larue, Barbara Kilindo, Lucy Chow, Stephanie Boniface, and Estephanie Dodin.