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45,000 to benefit from US ARVs programme
2006-01-31 09:08:09
By Adam Ihucha, Arusha
The US government has committed itself to treating 45,000 Tanzanians in need of ARVs.
Michael Retzer, the US ambassador to Tanzania, said this on Sunday evening when launching the Aids Walk Africa 2006 organised by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation (EGPAF). The walk is aimed at raising over US$600,000 for the fight against the global HIV/Aids pandemic.
’The 45,000 Tanzanians earmarked to be treated by the US government are a substantial portion of the total national goal of 100,000 patients targeted for treatment by the end of 2006,’ Retzer said.
EGPAF will be directly assisting with ARV therapy for over 9,000 Tanzanians, most of them mothers and children.
’We have reached out to Elizabeth Glaser because the foundation is a recognised world leader in providing HIV care to children,’ Retzer said during a dinner at Arumeru River Lodge.
He urged the foundation to provide leadership in Tanzania by establishing centres of excellence by training health workers, and by providing technical assistance to the government as it developed treatment guidelines and protocols for children.
’We, as Americans, are justifiably proud of what we are doing to help. But you, as American activists and philanthropists, have twice as many reasons for being proud.
Your selfless, thoughtful giving, in conjunction with the generous contributions of the American people represented by the President’s Emergency Plan, allows the Elizabeth Glaser Foundation to continue to do its life-prolonging work.’
The US government supports over 280 facilities offering services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
The facilities, many of which are operated by EGPAF, served over 42,000 expectant mothers in the past year.
The weeklong Aids Walk Africa 2006 involves 49 American participants and 11 EGPAF staff.
EGPAF press liaison officer Sahar Moridani exclusively told The Guardian that participants would not only witness Tanzania’s breathtaking beauty during the once-in-a-lifetime trek through the country, but also the lifesaving programmes that were bringing hope to thousands.
While in Kilimanjaro Region, the group will visit clinics and hospitals run by the foundation and meet with medical personnel and patients to learn about the challenges they face.
Expert guides will lead walkers on a six-day journey through breathtaking landscape that is home to one of the world’s largest wild animal populations and more than 120 different indigenous tribes.
Each US-based walker had pledged to raise a minimum of US$10,000, Moridani said, adding that the walk was expected to raise more than US$600,000 for EGPAF through individual fundraising and corporate sponsorship.
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