Fight Against AIDS in East Africa
Posted by dds3 on June 8, 2009
For the millions of Africans dealing with HIV/AIDS, a beacon of hope has emerged from an unassuming single story clinic, nestled in the hills of this city.
Since its doors were open in 2004, the Infectious Disease Institute (IDI) has been on the forefront of Africa’s response to the pandemic, quietly and methodically conducting scores of clinical trials while treating thousands.
IDI and its staff have proved through their outreach, and treatments that high-quality care can be given without having to build brick-and-mortar infrastructure in every rural area.
And the friends _ as the patients there are called _ are regaining their foothold in society, living healthier, with their heads held high and some even heading back to the workplace after being pull from the brink of death.
“When this clinic started in a small room, a HIV clinic was a specter of a lot of depression and sadness, people laying on the floors. Now as you will see it’s a vibrant population,” said Andrew Kambugu, IDI’s head of clinical services.
“People are well, they are going back to work, they are looking for spouses if they’ve lost their loved ones and they are looking to live life again. For me as a young African professional I think there are fewer places that give more satisfaction,” the doctor, 35, added.
IDI’s success in rolling out anti-retroviral therapies while simultaneously conducting high level research work began as dream. American and African Academicians wondering how to deal with Africa’s AIDS crisis, came up with the idea to open up a state-of-the-art regional center of excellence to serve the continent.
Thus the Academic Alliance for AIDS care and prevention in Africa was born. The Alliance got the Pfizer foundation to pony up funds for the building and operational cost for the first few years and IDI opened it’s doors in 2004. It cost $2 million a year to operate.
