Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - For the first time the St Egidio Community has received an award for its work in the field of health care in Africa. St Egidio launched its Drug Resource Enhancement against Aids and Malnutrition (DREAM) in Mozambique which it is presently extending to Malawi, Angola, Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, South Africa and Swaziland. DREAM has obtained the best results so far in Sub-Saharan Africa: 97% of babies born to HIV+ mothers did not contract the HIV virus. Moreover nine out of every ten adults who were given triple therapy and a suitable diet are well and have begun a new life.
St Egidio provides its Drug Resource Enhancement against Aids and Malnutrition Dream free of charge. Out of 70,000 patients treated with antiretroviral the St Egidio programme in Mozambique covers therapy for about about 7,000, and almost 4,000 are followed with complete therapy.
In February this year in San Francisco, doctors, researchers and experts members of St Egidio illustrated the results of the programme at a Conference on retroviruses and opportunistic infections (CROI), the most prestigious meeting at the international level on AIDS. Some 3,000 scientists attended to meeting. Never before had a scientific group been invited to illustrate the fruits of its work to that Conference for the second time. (AP) (14/4/2004 Agenzia Fides; Righe: 22; Parole:254)
