NASSAU, The Bahamas ? Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Archie Nairn (left) with The Ambassador of The People?s Republic of China His Excellency Hu Dingxian, during a tour of the construction site of the New National Stadium by executives of The Bahamas China Friendship Association on September 22, 2009. (Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture Photo/Eric Rose)




NASSAU, The Bahamas ? Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Archie Nairn (centre) joins Mr. Aaron Brice (left) and Mrs. Delores Ingraham, wife of the Prime Minister and Principal of C.C. Sweeting High School, during a tour of the construction site of the New National Stadium by executives of The Bahamas China Friendship Association on September 22, 2009. (Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture Photo/Eric Rose)




NASSAU, The Bahamas ? Project Manager Iram Lewis (right) shows points of interest on a map during a tour of the construction site of the New National Stadium by executives of The Bahamas China Friendship Association on September 22, 2009. (Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture Photo/Eric Rose)




NASSAU, The Bahamas ? Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Archie Nairn and Undersecretary Calvin Balfour with The Ambassador of The People?s Republic of China His Excellency Hu Dingxian, Thomas A. Robinson and executives of The Bahamas China Friendship Association, during a tour of the construction site of the New National Stadium on September 22, 2009. Kneeling are 12-grade students from the C. C. Sweeting Senior High School who are a part of a training programme for three days each week at the site, learning such skills as masonry, carpentry, plumbing, welding and electrical installation. (Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture Photo/Eric Rose)

NASSAU, The Bahamas -- A recent study of adolescent knowledge of, and attitude towards HIV/AIDS and its risk factors indicated that while some youngsters were knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS, many were not taking the risk factors associated with the disease seriously enough, Minister of Health Dr. the Hon. Hubert A. Minnis said Monday.

Dr. Minnis said as a result, health policymakers, planners and professionals must re-double their efforts to ensure that they do.

The study was conducted on public and private school students between the ages of 15-17 in New Providence and the Family Islands. Its aim was to provide data to support the planning and implementation of preventative strategies and healthcare programmes relating to HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Minnis said while groups such as the AIDS Foundation of The Bahamas and the Ministry of Health ? through its National AIDS Programme ? have, and continue to promote aggressive and intensive campaigns against the spread of HIV/AIDS, adolescents remain among the fastest growing population of HIV-infected persons in The Bahamas.

The Health Minister commended the AIDS Foundation of The Bahamas for establishing a temporary care facility for HIV positive adolescents. He said the facility will assist in ?stabilizing their health? and is another example of how the organisation ?is responsive to the needs of the HIV/AIDS sector of our population.?

?In our country, they (adolescents) are extremely vulnerable,? Dr. Minnis said. ?Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to promote a stern message detailing preventative measures about HIV/AIDS to this group.?

Addressing the Opening Session of an AIDS Foundation of The Bahamas Workshop, Dr. Minnis said the HIV/AIDS Pandemic continues to threaten the economic, national and social development of countries around the globe.

He said the Caribbean, The Bahamas included, has been the ?second-worst? affected region globally.

Dr. Minnis said it is his opinion that ?our children? may be among the ?most innocent? victims of the disease.

?And therefore, the Ministry of Health has increased access to anti-retroviral drugs, particularly for HIV positive pregnant women. This programme has led to a dramatic reduction in the Mother-to-Child transmission rate,? Dr. Minnis added.

The Health Minister said health officials must ensure that young people have ?adequate access to knowledge and treatment? in order to minimise those health risks and reduce vulnerability to possible HIV infection.

He said part of this is continuing to ensure that adolescents are made aware of the risk factors associated with the disease.

Those risk factors include having unprotected sex (not using a latex condom) with multiple partners; having unprotected sex with someone who is HIV positive; having unprotected sex with someone whose HIV status is unknown; contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as syphilis, herpes, chlamydia and gonorrhea, and by sharing needles during intravenous drug use.

Health officials say many of these risk factors are ?behavioural in nature? and that by avoiding high-risk behaviours, individuals can reduce ?or virtually eliminate? the risk of becoming infected with HIV/AIDS.

Nassau, Bahamas -- Renowned Bahamian artist Max Taylor officially opened his Exhibition Paper Work 1960 ? 1992 under the patronage of Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham and Mrs. Delores Ingraham at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, Friday, September 18, 2009. Mr. Taylor talks with Prime Minister Ingraham about the more than 150 works on paper being shown.



(BIS photo/Peter Ramsay)

NASSAU, Bahamas -- Ambassador of the Slovak Republic His Excellency Zdenek Rozhold paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham at his office on Cable Beach, Thursday, September 17, 2009.

Click here to view the large picture of Ambassador of the Slovak Republic His Excellency Zdenek Rozhold and Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham.

(BIS photo/Peter Ramsay)