About us
National AIDS Commission of Belize
The National AIDS Commission was appointed by Cabinet and officially established in February 2000. The principal objective of the NAC is to coordinate, facilitate and monitor the national response to HIV/AIDS as well as the National Strategic Plan. The Commission also has the shared responsibility for advocacy, resource mobilization, the development of Policy and Legislation, and the over all monitoring and Evaluation of all interventions and efforts.
Mandate
To effectively coordinate, facilitate and monitor the national response to HIV and AIDS and the Strategic Plan so as to reduce the incidence and spread of HIV/AIDS and provide comprehensive, quality support for persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Overall Goals
- By 2020, Belize has halted and began to reverse the HIV incidence rates among young people, men who have sex with men and sex workers
- By 2020, the AIDS-related deaths, especially among men living with HIV in Belize, will have decreased by 30%
- By 2020, systems will be in place to fully understand the essential features of the epidemic in Belize
- By 2020, Belize will have significantly reduced discrimination against persons vulnerable to HIV
Vision
By the end of 2020, Belize will have continued to reduce the number of HIV infections; extended the length and quality of life of people with HIV and their families; significantly reduced discrimination against persons vulnerable to HIV; and effectively coordinated a multi-sectorial response which is human rights based and gender responsive.
National AIDS Commission of Belize (NAC)/Country Coordinating Mechanism
Chairperson: Dr. Giovanni Solorzano
Representative from Ministry of Health: Dr. Francis Morey
Representative from Ministry of Human Development: Ms. Anna Williams
Representative from Ministry of Education: Mrs Cecilia Smith
Representative from Ministry of Labour: Ms. Rissela Dominguez
Representative nominated by the Leader of the Opposition: TBD
Representative from the Attorney General’s Ministry/Foreign Affairs: Ms. Imani N. Burgess
Chair of the National Committee for Families and Children (Civil Society): Mrs. Arreini Palacio Morgan
Representative from Human Rights Commission (Civil Society): Mr. Leo Bradley Jr
Person representing persons living with HIV/AIDS: Mr. Imer Patt
Representative Responsible for MSM/LGBT/SW/IDU: Mr. Kendale Trapp
Representative responsible for Youth/Women/Children: Mrs. Joan Burke-Skeen
Representative from the private sector nominated by the business community: Mr. Christopher Pech
Representative from faith based organizations: Father Norman Flowers
NAC Executive Director: Mr. Enrique Romero
Bi-lateral Partners: Mr. Ian King (UNDP)
Multi-lateral Partners: Dr. Noreen Jack(PAHO)
Representative from Ministry of Health: Dr. Francis Morey
Representative from Ministry of Human Development: Ms. Anna Williams
Representative from Ministry of Education: Mrs Cecilia Smith
Representative from Ministry of Labour: Ms. Rissela Dominguez
Representative nominated by the Leader of the Opposition: TBD
Representative from the Attorney General’s Ministry/Foreign Affairs: Ms. Imani N. Burgess
Chair of the National Committee for Families and Children (Civil Society): Mrs. Arreini Palacio Morgan
Representative from Human Rights Commission (Civil Society): Mr. Leo Bradley Jr
Person representing persons living with HIV/AIDS: Mr. Imer Patt
Representative Responsible for MSM/LGBT/SW/IDU: Mr. Kendale Trapp
Representative responsible for Youth/Women/Children: Mrs. Joan Burke-Skeen
Representative from the private sector nominated by the business community: Mr. Christopher Pech
Representative from faith based organizations: Father Norman Flowers
NAC Executive Director: Mr. Enrique Romero
Bi-lateral Partners: Mr. Ian King (UNDP)
Multi-lateral Partners: Dr. Noreen Jack(PAHO)
The NAC Secretariat
The Secretariat of the National AIDS Commission (NAC) has been established to support the work of the commission. The NAC Secretariat falls under the Office of the Prime Minister with its administrative functions overseen by the Ministry of Human Development. The Secretariat reports to the NAC. The NAC Secretariat will be responsible for facilitating the overall coordination, monitoring and evaluation role of the commission and ensures the effective implementation of the National Strategic Plan.
The Secretariat consists of the:
Executive Director: Mr. Enrique Romero
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer: Ms. Berndina Eck
Communication & Programs Officer: Ms. Cindy Jones
Finance & Office Manager: Ms. Adrianne Alpuche
Meet Our Partners
Belize Family Life Association
An NGO committed to educating young people on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and rights and providing low cost SRH services. They have a youth group that works on promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights to other young people by conducting educational sessions, running a radio show, and conducting popular theatre through drama, dance and talking about the facts.
GOJoven
A youth leadership organization working to promote and support the development of young people to act as catalysts for social change to impact adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health choices, services, policies, and programs at the community, national and regional level.
Hand in Hand Ministries, Belize
Faith-based Organization works to empower the lives of families and children living in poverty. Community services include improving care and treatment to Orphaned Vulnerable Children through residential day care and outreach services. In addition, Hand in Hand also builds houses for those in need.
Belize Red Cross Society
An NGO carrying out relief operations that focuses on core areas: promoting humanitarian values, disaster response, disaster preparedness, and health, HIV prevention and community care.
National Council for Families and Children
Statutory Board charged with promoting and protecting the human rights of every child and family in Belize primarily those enshrined in the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Cornerstone Foundation
A grass roots organization empowering people while working with aid organizations and social service providers in reaching communities with essential services in health and development.
UniBAM
UniBAM is a grassroots organization of and for sexual minorities working to empower lives of the the LGBT community and Persons Living with HIV through education, capacity building, advocacy, human rights defense and stigma reduction.
Ministry of Human Development and Social Transformation
MHDSTPA is the lead Government entity of Belize in the development of its people. In collaboration with all relevant partners, they facilitate policy development and implement programs that promote social justice, equality, equity, family preservation, non-discrimination, participation, respect and appreciation for all Belizeans.
Ministry of Health
The lead Government entity mandated to design, plan, develop and implement health programs and services using Primary Health Care and Health Promotion Strategies.
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
Government entity with the mandate to ensure that all Belizeans are given an opportunity to acquire those knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for their own personal development and for full and active participation in the development of the nation.
Ministry of Tourism and Culture
This is the government arm of tourism that provides a range of administrative and technical services as well as policy leadership for the achievement of Belize’s sustainable tourism development.
Ministry of Labour, Local Government, Rural Development, NEMO and Immigration and Nationality
The Government arm of Belize tasked with providing sound policy and administrative frameworks that promote an environment for labor protection, employment, social protection, effective local governance and the goals of sustainable and community development to foster economic growth and social justice.
UNDP in Belize
UNDP is a United Nations entity in Belize that supports capacity development, human development, advocacy, and coordination, for the achievement of MDGs at a local and national level. UNDP is currently the Principal Recipient for the Global Fund Round 9 Grant being implemented in Belize.
CNET Belize
Formed in July 2011, the Collaborative Network of Persons Living with HIV in Belize aims to improve the quality of life of persons living with HIV in the country and to increase their meaningful participation in the national and regional response to HIV/AIDS.
Regional Partners
PANCAP
Pancap is the CARICOM regional network that coordinates member states’ vision and resource mobilization for HIV, PANCAP plays a lead role in the Caribbean to reduce the spread and the impact of HIV through sustainable systems of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
Caribbean Broadcasting Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS
CBMP is coalition of top Caribbean broadcasters in a coordinated media response to the surging HIV pandemic in the Caribbean. The Member broadcasters deliver creative and strategic HIV/AIDS information including targeted public service announcements.
REDCA+
REDCA is a regional network of people living with HIV with the mandate to develop and strengthen technical and professional capacities of people living with HIV/AIDS in Central America.
International Partners
Populations Services International
PSI is an International global health organization with programs targeting malaria, child survival, HIV, reproductive health and non-communicable disease. Working in partnership within the public and private sectors, PSI provides life-saving products, clinical services and behavior change communications that empower the world’s most vulnerable populations.
Aids-Free World
AIDS-Free World is an international advocacy organization with a small staff that works from a dozen locations in the US and Canada, Africa, the Caribbean and Europe. Services provided include AIDS advocacy, public speaking, writing and communication; politics and diplomacy; the law; research and analysis; gender and human rights; sociology, public health, development, environment and social justice.
PEPFAR
The American President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) provides support to the scientific, implementation, and policy issues related to the global response to HIV/AIDS which influence the priorities and direction of PEPFAR evaluation and research, the content of national and international strategies and implementation, and the role of PEPFAR in the international discourse regarding appropriate and resourced responses.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM)
The GFATM is an international financing organization that aims to attract and disburse resources to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The organization has its secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland and is Belize’s single largest international donor agency for HIV and AIDS.