Children's AIDS Program
(photo Adam Kennedy)
Update for January 2011: We are thankful for our committed supporters who stepped in to save the lives of the children served by Dr. Vindu and her staff in Democratic Republic of Congo. As a result, the Children’s AIDS Program has been assured a 6-month supply of antiretroviral medications for the 300+ children in need. (as of January 2011.) Also, through with the Clinton Foundation an additional year of support has been arranged.
You heard our urgent request and met the need. Committed monthly support for the children in this program is still critical, however. Please consider a monthly recurring gift to provide medical services for the 300 children enrolled in the Children’s AIDS Program.
Your donations:
Please consider assisting this program. A donation of $25/month provides sufficient HIV medication to support a child. » Donate Here
Learn More:
- Meet Melissa, a child enrolled in the program
- Eliki's story
About the Program
Founded in 2006, the program began with 243 patients. Since that time, the program has nearly tripled to 700 patients currently treated by Dr. Eulalie Vindu. Dr. Vindu sees an average of 30 patients each day, who are scheduled to make one monthly visit for check ups, refilling prescriptions, and when they have reached the appropriate age, disclosure of their HIV infection.
The Clinton Foundation has provided the HIV treatments for the program since 2006. Antiretroviral medications, once administered, are taken for a lifetime. Failure to take the antiretroviral drugs can cause drug resistance to the medications, which will have deadly consequences. Global Strategies has working to identify a long-term supplier of the medications and is simultaneously working with individual donors to raise funds to purchase at least six months of medications to close the gaps until a supplier is identified.
The program has successfully drawn upon multiple funding sources including individual contributors, the Clinton Foundation which provided antiretroviral drugs, and Global Strategies which provided funding for medical staff salaries, medications to treat opportunistic infection, and nutritional supplements.
Through this combined effort, the Children’s AIDS Program (CAP) has altered the lives of over 700 children in the past four years. In addition to outpatient services, CAP provides home visits and a peer group for teenaged girls who are HIV infected. This peer group, run by Dr. Vindu, meets weekly to encourage the young women, answer difficult questions, and to help the teens connect with one another as HIV-infected peers.