Emphasis on the importance of countries taking ownership of their national response as it relates to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was high on the agenda, Wednesday, when the Ministry of Health in collaboration with UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) held its ?Country ownership for a sustainable HIV response in Guyana? meeting.The meeting in progress The venue was Cara Lodge,[url=http://www.cheapjerseysshare.us@#$%&/]NFL Jerseys Supply[/url], Quamina Street, Georgetown. The meeting was addressed by Minister of Health,[url=http://www.basketballstore.us@#$%&/]NBA Store[/url], Dr Leslie Ramsammy, who pointed out that country ownership will in fact begin and end with all stakeholders in attendance, inclusive of government officials, representatives of civil society and developmental partners.He noted that country ownership cannot mean exclusion simply because a stakeholder may not be Guyanese.?Country ownership for me, and I hope for all of us, simply means the ability of a national programme to attain its goals.?  He recalled that it was several years ago that meetings were held nationally and globally to discuss country ownership.The result of that move was described by a simple statement that ?globally and nationally, national programmes should aspire for the ?Three Ones?,[url=http://www.nhl2017.us@#$%&/Detroit-Red-Wings-Brett-Hull-Jersey/]Brett Hull Red Wings Jersey[/url], that is, One National Programme, One National Coordinating Agency and One National Monitoring and Evaluation Programme.??If the ?Three Ones? could be achieved, then country ownership is guaranteed. Therefore in discussing where Guyana or any country might have arrived in terms of country ownership it is really an evaluation after about six years of the agreement around the ?Three Ones? and how we are doing with the implementation.?Accordingly, Minister Ramsammy noted that countries must be willing and able to take ownership of their national response, adding that developing partners must find a place in the support and implementation of such programmes without having to dictate how those programmes are run.?I believe Guyana and our developing partners have worked well in ensuring that there is national ownership. It is critical because these days when we talk about ownership of the national programme, we also talk about programmes that are sustainable.?The Minister said that there is need for a built-in sustainability.  However, he is of the opinion that talks cannot ensue about ownership of a sustainable national response unless there is a capability to build national capacity.National capacity, according to the Minister, is in fact at the very centre of any strategy or any effort to own national programmes.He noted, too, that a response to HIV cannot be a comprehensive and effective response unless it fits into the capacity of a country to implement national responses to those things that affect the health of the nation.?There is absolutely no way we will be able to build all of the health systems that are necessary for HIV unless we build health systems in general?Therefore building a supply chain must be building a supply chain (that we can use) as we respond to the health needs of the people and not the supply chain for HIV.We cannot build health information systems for HIV unless we build health information systems for the country,? Minister Ramsammy asserted.Although there is undoubtedly an urgent need for more resources to help combat the fight against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV),[url=http://www.cheapjerseysnear.us@#$%&/]cheap nfl jerseys china[/url], there is also a dire need for greater support and collaboration with heavily-affected countries, according to UNAIDS.  It has been proposed by UNAIDS that it is an especially crucial move to avoid duplication and fragmentation in programmes.On April 25, 2004, the United Kingdom and the United States co-hosted a high-level meeting at which key donors reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening national AIDS responses led by the affected countries themselves.  The meeting saw the countries endorsing the ?Three Ones? principles to achieve the most effective and efficient use of resources and to ensure rapid action and results-based management.  The Three Ones principles speaks to the need for one agreed HIV/AIDS Action Framework that provides the basis for coordinating the work of all partners. One National AIDS Coordinating Authority, with a broad-based multi-sectoral mandate and one agreed country-level Monitoring and Evaluation System.According to UNAIDS there has since been a marked shift in the global response to the complex AIDS crisis which continues to worsen.?National responses are broader and stronger and have improved access to financial resources and commodities.?In addition to increased commitments by affected countries, the advent of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria,[url=http://www.cheapnfljerseysmr.us@#$%&/]Cheap NFL Jerseys Supply[/url], the new AIDS programmes of the World Bank, expanding commitments from donor countries,[url=http://www.cheapjerseysnear.us@#$%&/]cheap nfl jerseys[/url], especially the United States and the work of private sector foundations has seen the total amount of funding on AIDS increase from US$2.8 billion in 2002 to an estimated US$10 billion available in 2007.  However the ?Three Ones? is especially designed to address the challenge of duplication and fragmentation.  ?Built on lessons learned over two decades, the ?Three Ones? will help improve the ability of donors and developing countries to work more effectively together on a country-by-country basis,? UNAIDS has asserted.