Giving Hope in Suriname
Stichting Lobi - the Suriname Family Planning Association
Thomas had pretty much given up all hope. He is a 45- year-old man living with HIV in Suriname, and antiretroviral (ARV) treatment could save his life. Like most people living with HIV in his country, however, the cost of treatment is far beyond his means.
HIV prevention strategies depend on the twin efforts of care and support for those living with HIV/AIDS, and targeted prevention for all people at risk or vulnerable to infection.
The importance of proactively addressing care issues as a means of preventing an escalation in prevalence rates is globally recognized. And together with a host of in-country partners including the HIVSeropositive Treatment Group, Stichting Lobi (the Suriname Family Planning Association), initiated a campaign to provide accessible and affordable treatment for people living with HIV.
Realizing that AIDS-related complications were increasingly becoming one of the leading causes of death and AIDS treatment was out of reach for the majority of the population, a small group of medical doctors who were at the time treating a few HIV-positive people with donated anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs decided to start an emergency Revolving Fund. The Fund’s primary goal is to ensure that life-altering HIV/AIDS medications are within the reach of those most in need.
The Anti-Retroviral Revolving Fund is making medication available at a reasonable price in Suriname at a time when the vast majority of those in need cannot access medicines through other channels.
It is estimated that over 500 HIVpositive persons will eventually need therapy, of whom 100 are in immediate need of ARV treatment. Although the cost of generic ARV drugs is constantly declining, the cost of treating those 100 persons is well beyond the purchasing power of most patients and the public sector.
By providing access to treatment to a network of people living with HIV/AIDS, Stichting Lobi has already witnessed a number of additional results beyond extending the quality of life and care for those infected and affected by the epidemic.