Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
PRNewswire - November 30, 2005
DURBAN, South Africa and LOS ANGELES, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- As nations around the world commemorate World AIDS Day, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) the largest US-based AIDS organization which operates free AIDS treatment clinics in the US, Africa, Central America and Asia is pleased to announce a new South African partnership with LifeLine, Durban, a respected nonprofit, non-governmental organization based in South Africa, which will provide social support services, including counseling and mentorship services, to patients at Ithembalabantu ("People's Hope") Health Care Center in Umlazi, AHF's free AIDS treatment clinic. Via this new partnership, the health care center, which has been providing lifesaving anti-retroviral therapy and medical care since 2002 and now treats over 1,200 patients, will now also offer valuable social support services through LifeLine's comprehensive community program that links HIV/AIDS, gender violence, victim empowerment, emotional distress and relationship difficulties.
"All of us at the clinic and at AHF are so excited about this new partnership between AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Ithembalabantu Clinic and LifeLine," said Dr. Pinky Ngcakani, Medical Director, Ithembalabantu Clinic, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, South Africa. "Together, we will be able to offer high-quality comprehensive HIV care and support services for this area. The expertise that LifeLine brings -- particularly in paediatric support and debriefing services, will make the Ithembalabantu Clinic a true center of excellence in the area. I am so pleased for our clinic staff to be working with LifeLine, but I am especially pleased for our patients, who will receive the greatest benefit from this collaboration."
Located in the city of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal province, the region of South Africa hardest hit by AIDS, the Ithembalabantu Clinic is a groundbreaking AIDS treatment facility that provides medical care and free anti-retroviral therapy to people living with HIV/AIDS in the region. The goals with this clinic were to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of treatment for HIV/AIDS in a resource-constrained setting and to develop models for future expansion both in South Africa and around the globe. Ithembalabantu Clinic began treating its first patients in February 2002 and is currently providing over 1,200 clients with life-saving anti-retroviral therapies.
"In keeping with our mission to offer skills for healing and transformation to individuals and communities in Southern Africa, LifeLine Durban is pleased to be partnering with AHF to provide these services to patients at the Ithembalabantu Health Care Center," said Susan Preller, Director of LifeLine Durban. "We are especially gratified to be collaborating with an organization that shares our passion to make a difference in the lives of HIV positive people by providing a comprehensive holistic approach to HIV/AIDS care and services to paediatric, adolescent and adult clients in a community-based setting."
AHF Global is a non-profit, international initiative of AIDS Healthcare Foundation that works in partnership with local stakeholders to establish replicable, scalable and sustainable models for HIV/AIDS medical services delivery in resource-constrained settings throughout the world. The mission of AHF Global programs is to change the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic by expanding access to life-sustaining ARV treatment for HIV positive people across the globe. AHF Global currently has clinics in South Africa (Durban) - Uganda (Masaka, Mbale, Mpigi, Soroti, Rakai) - Zambia (Chikankata) - Honduras (San Pedro Sula, Siguatatpeque and Roatan) - Mexico (Tijuana) - India (Mysore)
SOURCE AIDS Healthcare Foundation
051130
PR051162
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