Contents page 1 — The HIV-effect on page 2 — Islands of good care in the midst of ailing health systems page 3 Until today, the Alma-Ata Declaration as a revolutionary On a page to read
A red sand road runs through the dry countryside, passing sheep, goats and herds of cows, endless corn fields and small shops, the rough-hewn stones, and wood to sell. In a sink a few exposed houses and a Church out of clay. The wooden benches are already filled, a lot of women have their children on the lap.
The village meeting begins with a prayer in Swahili, then it comes to the finances of the members of the community – and, finally, to health. A young woman talks about what applies to here more than any Twentieth: HIV and Aids. It explains how people are infected and why it is so important to take the medication for the body is dormant most of the Virus every day. Later, the residents of the small village, located almost one hundred kilometers to the North of lake Victoria in Western Kenya, on the Lawn in front of the Church in a long line up to take a free HIV Test.
in Africa South of the Sahara helpers from the city arrive to test people for HIV, is nothing Special. The continent of Aids programs literally covered. Unusual but what happened, as the young woman finished her explanation of HIV: Two young men come forward and begin to tell the villagers of chronic diseases and their treatment, Diabetes, high blood pressure and Depression, the diseases so long considered diseases of affluence. But the people here are affected by them, as well as HIV. After the presentations and a rain q & a session helper to be measured and a table of blood pressure, and the villagers climb under a big Hello to an old metal scale.
The three assistants come from Ampath, a project that has changed the health of Western Kenya fundamentally. Ampath is far beyond the borders of the East African state as a model. Of an Aids program, it has become an Initiative that many people for the first time in their life, treatment of chronic ailments. So Ampath, originally wanted to combat not only HIV has become, paradoxically, a metaphor for something quite different, namely, a holistic medical Thinking.
the project is the best example of a requirement imposed by the governments of the world 40 years ago, in the famous Declaration of Alma-Ata. At a conference of the world health organization (WHO) in 1978, in Kazakhstan they agreed on, the devastating inequalities in terms of health between poor and rich countries to dismantle. If the WHO is celebrating next week the 40-year anniversary of the Alma-Ata conference, is to be renewed this oath.* However, in order to improve the health care really, the example shows Ampath, you have to stop trying to single diseases in isolation to combat it.
Ampaths roots can be traced back to the year 1989, the American University of Indiana and the Moi University in Kenya Eldoret signed a partnership. Even then, had died in Kenya in isolated cases, people with Aids, remembers Joe Mamlin, the former medical Dean of Indiana and the idea of the father of Ampath. “But when I arrived in 2000, back to Eldoret, was to become the Aids epidemic, long to hell.” Thousands have died, young people, the eroding her immune system. At the latest since the world community could not ignore the disease.
two extraordinary things happened within a few years: in 2001, the patents on some HIV have been tilted drugs, and their price of around 35 Euro fell to less than one Euro per day. At almost the same time, governments, private donors, and NGOs began to work together to combat the disease, with the sums, which, for health concerns – everything till then Seen in a flashback. And one of the first recipients of the million Ampath.
This article dates back to the TIME no 44/2018. Here you can read the entire issue.
Because the funds were used at the time, with the only goal to keep HIV Patients from death, and to reduce the number of new Infections, is at the heart of Ampath, by nature, a HIV clinic. In Eldoret, the is a square stone building with four monumental columns at the entrance, which support a corrugated metal roof. Inside, dozens of people waiting for benches on wood. A member of staff regularly checks to make sure his patients keep their appointments, and calls defaulting Sick on your mobile phone. Then they are examined, blood is taken, you will be weighed and questioned. A physician assistant prescribes drugs against HIV and is asking for side effects.
The principle, which has become the key for efficient treatment, called a differentiated supply: Not every HIV Patient do not need to be received each Time by a trained doctor, especially if he takes his medication regularly and not excessive under the side effects to suffer.
Fast, but it was not clear that a purely medical care in the fight against Aids is not sufficient, remembers Adrian Gardner, assistant Professor at the University of Indiana and the field Director of Ampath-Alliance: “Aids is a three-headed Monster. The head of the virus disease, the second is the poverty and the third of the Hunger. People do not take care of their HIV Status, if they have nothing to eat and no roof over your head.”
*editors ‘ note: Meanwhile, the global conference on the basis of basic services has taken place. The delegates have agreed on an ambitious statement, which you can find here.
