PLACE in St. Lucia: Identifying Gaps in HIV Prevention in Castries, Gros Islet, and Anse la Raye, 2007

Author(s): National AIDS Programme Secretariat, MEASURE Evaluation

Year: 2007

Abstract:
Information on the most-at-risk populations in St. Lucia is needed to guide programs and policies for HIV/AIDS prevention. PLACE is a rapid assessment methodology that relies on collecting data at venues where people most at risk of becoming infected with or of transmitting HIV are likely to socialize. In 2007, a steering committee comprised of representatives from the St. Lucia Ministry of Health, the National AIDS Programme Secretariat, community nursing, Ministry of Education, the Caribbean Drug Abuse Research Institute, the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action, the Red Cross, the Peace Corps, and sexually transmitted disease nurses decided to implement PLACE in strategically-chosen areas. A total of three distinct priority prevention areas (PPAs) were selected based on contextual factors in the district that suggested that the incidence of HIV infection is likely to be highest in these areas.The results of PLACE will be used as the basis for local HIV/AIDS strategic plans and to guide prevention programming decisions.