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December 1, 2021
FEATURE
Neighborhood caregivers unfold hope in Ghana amid two pandemics, with help from Apple
At St. Martin de Porres Hospital on the outskirts of Accra in Ghana, Joseph is starting a vital journey. The 27-year-old is choosing up a two-months’ provide of lifesaving antiretroviral remedy treatment (ART), however the medicine are usually not for him, though he has taken them each day since he was recognized with HIV at age 11.
Joseph is a part of a program referred to as Mannequin of Hope, which is run by the Christian Well being Affiliation of Ghana (CHAG), and enlists the assistance of individuals dwelling with HIV to help others who’ve examined optimistic for the virus. CHAG is likely one of the many community-based organizations and healthcare suppliers in Ghana supported by the International Fund.
This 12 months, Apple is marking 15 years of partnership and almost $270 million raised by way of its (PRODUCT)RED marketing campaign to help the International Fund’s efforts to cease the unfold of AIDS throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
COVID-19 has made this mission much more crucial. To handle the twin challenges, final 12 months the International Fund launched its COVID-19 Response to assist to alleviate the influence of this second pandemic on communities already grappling with HIV and AIDS. Apple was one of many first firms to shift consideration and assets to the International Fund’s COVID-19 efforts, and can proceed redirecting half of eligible proceeds from (PRODUCT)RED purchases to the COVID-19 Response by way of the tip of 2022, with the opposite half going on to the struggle to finish AIDS.
Joseph is one in all 13.8 million individuals who has entry to ART on account of Apple’s contributions to the International Fund’s efforts in Africa, and he sees the impact COVID-19 is having on these he counsels by way of the Mannequin of Hope program.
“When it’s time for them to come back in to get their treatment, generally they don’t due to COVID,” says Joseph. “As a result of they’re afraid — they assume, ‘Whenever you come to the hospital, you get COVID,’ so many don’t come in any respect.”
For immunocompromised people, like these with HIV who should take ART on daily basis, lacking these appointments places them in grave hazard — however so does publicity to COVID-19. Mannequin of Hope volunteer employees like Joseph be certain that many sufferers obtain treatment and counseling, even when they aren’t prepared or in a position to journey.
“When COVID struck, we had lots of companies shut down and we had lots of motion restricted,” says Kafui Kornu, CHAG’s senior communications officer. “So the Mannequin of Hope system helped in that regard, and so they’ve been doing very effectively figuring out [those in] want and delivering their medicine to them. Once they go, they establish that it’s not simply that an individual doesn’t wish to come, however there’s really another downside that must be solved to allow them to get entry to the drug.”
Rebecca, 45, can be a volunteer employee within the Mannequin of Hope program, and has been on ART for 15 years. Regardless of her HIV analysis, she has given start to 3 kids who all examined unfavourable for the virus as a result of she adopted prevention of mother-to-child transmission protocols, or PMTCT. On account of Apple’s contributions to the International Fund during the last 15 years, greater than 5 million pregnant girls have been in a position to obtain PMTCT counseling to assist forestall passing on HIV to their kids.
“Had the groundwork not been laid for preventing HIV during the last 20 years by the International Fund and contributing companions like Apple, a lot of what we’re doing as we speak to deal with bigger healthcare points, together with COVID-19, wouldn’t be potential,” says Luisa Engel, (RED)’s Chief Impression Officer. “The healthcare employee that was educated to struggle the unfold of HIV can be going to have the ability to diagnose your youngster with malaria, to verify your blood sugar appears to be like proper if in case you have diabetes, and put a COVID-19 vaccine in your arm. So there’s a a lot larger well being influence that comes from the neighborhood infrastructure constructed by the International Fund and supported by firms like Apple.”
In Ghana, that interprets to a 21 p.c lower in new HIV infections during the last decade, and 200,000 individuals on ART, up from 40,000 in 2010. An enormous a part of that success is rooted within the International Fund’s work in communities, and with HIV-positive volunteer employees who assist to fight the stigma that’s related to a optimistic analysis by displaying {that a} full life is feasible with remedy.
“I say, take a look at me — I began taking the medicine once I was younger, and now I’m 27,” says Joseph. “Someday I wish to be a lab technician, to proceed my schooling. So in the event you take your ART, you may be like me; I do know sooner or later I can be somebody sooner or later.”
Rebecca talks about her standing with these she counsels and her personal kids, to provide them the instruments they should shield themselves and others. She sees her volunteer work as a manner of giving again.
“I needed to be a Mannequin of Hope as a result of any individual helped me,” says Rebecca. “I’m nonetheless alive now, I suppose, to assist others too.”
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Rachel Wolf Tulley
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