Touring A Rwandan Clinic
July 30th, 2008 at 10:01 am | posted by Virginia Simmons
Another video and post from ONE’s Tom Gavin from last week’s trip to Rwanda.
Monday, July 21:
The U.S. launched PEPFAR – the American global AIDS strategy – at the Masaka Clinic in 2004, so it made for a good place for the ONE delegation to visit and assess how things are going. Our delegation met with doctors, nurses, local officials, and patients seeking treatment and counsel from the clinic’s staff. We heard, time and again, the difference that America’s partnership in health care was making in Rwanda and throughout Africa.
The DATA Report, which ONE released earlier this year, shows the progress being made. It points out that, across Africa, nearly 2.12 million people were on antiretroviral therapy by last December, a huge jump from the 50,000 people on treatment in 2002. That means 30 percent of Africans in need of treatment are receiving it. But there remains a major challenge ahead. An additional 1.7 million Africans became infected with the HIV virus in 2007.
After touring the Masaka Clinic, some of the ONE delegation discussed the site visit and the overall trip with reporters.
-Tom Gavin
July 30th, 2008 at 11:04 am
It makes me very proud when they talk about ONE.
I agree wholeheartedly about building the economic infrastructure.
I flinched for a moment at the word “guerillas,” then immediately realized they meant “gorillas,” of course. (A welcome change in discussion, certainly.)
http://www.rwanda-gorillas.com/
I think the idea of launching more products from Africa, such as Rwandan coffee (they could even call it “gorilla coffee,” playfully), is a key to making these nations self-sustaining, and players on firm footing in the international community.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I agree with Paul. We should all be proud to hear our spokespeople talking about ONE and what it has accomplished. I too agree that the economic infrastructure is important. I knew what they were talking about when they started talking about gorillas only because last year Senator Frist blogged about his trip up to the top of a 12,000 foot high volcano to see silverback gorillas during his annual African trip. They had to hike up the mountain, and the story was quite interesting.
July 30th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Spread The Love ToO EveryOne Pass It On
OneLove
www.viralsong.com
August 1st, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Are there more informative pictures that show the people, the families, the patients, the country side, the housing, the poverty, the actual situation?