SECURE THE FUTURE™ HIV/AIDS Grants In Southern Africa Now Exceed US$46 Million (R345 Million)

Twenty-one New Grants Totaling US$3.1 Million (R23,25 Million) Announced

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (March 21, 2001) -- Five southern African countries have received 21 SECURE THE FUTURE™ grants totaling more than US$3.1 million (R23,25 million) to support medical research and community outreach and education projects aimed at combating HIV/AIDS. This brings the total SECURE THE FUTURE commitment since inception in May 1999 to more than US$46 million (R345 million).

Five grants have been made in partnership with the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference/Catholic Medical Mission Board, which has contributed about US$500,000 (R3,75 million).

Announcing the latest grants today, John L McGoldrick, executive vice president, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, said that it was intended that they would provide innovative, sustainable ways to improve care, economic and social status of women and children faced with the AIDS pandemic in the region.

The approved and funded Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation research grants are:

  • A project to train oral health care personnel in the identification, diagnosis and management of oral manifestations of HIV/AIDS (US$355,000, R2,7 million). The project was submitted by the University of Stellenbosch Department of Community Dentistry in the Western Cape, South Africa.
  • A study of male involvement in mother-to-child HIV prevention, in order to identify appropriate approaches to maximizing their support to the program (US$32,000, P160,000). The study will be conducted by the University of Botswana and Harvard University and the Ministry of Health, Botswana.
  • A study to establish the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of oral compared with intravenous trimethoprim-sulpamethoxazole for treatment of pneumonia in HIV-infected children (US$39,000, R292,500). The project was submitted by the University of Cape Town; Department of Child Health in the Western Cape, South Africa.

The approved research grants, which will shortly receive funding, are:

  • A study to determine the efficacy of a zinc and multi-vitamin supplement in reducing the number of infections in HIV-positive children, thus improving their quality of life (US$94,000, R705,000). The study is a collaborative effort between the Tygerberg Hospital Department of Paediatrics, the Red Cross Children’s Hospital and Groote Schuur, all in the Western Cape, South Africa.
  • A major study (US$190,000, R1,4 million) conducted by the Medical Research Council of South Africa (Burden of Disease Research Unit), the Departments of Public Health and Actuarial Science at the University of Cape Town and the Centre for Population Studies at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The purpose of the study is to establish a mechanism for monitoring deaths caused by AIDS in a timely manner, using registered deaths and actuarial models, to produce short and long-term projections of mortality for national and provincial governments.
  • An innovative study (US$360,000 R2,7 million) by the University of Natal, South Africa, investigating the management of paediatric HIV by comparing continuous therapy with structured treatment interruption, using cost-effective and sustainable existing treatments.

The approved and funded Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Community Outreach and Education grants are:

  • A one-year, US$114,000/P570,000 project, to assist in building long-term sustainability of AIDS service organisations in Botswana. The grant has been made to the Botswana Network of AIDS Service Organisations (BONASO). Beneficiaries will include Botswana AIDS service non-governmental organisations (NGOs), volunteers from community-based organisations and People Living With AIDS.
  • A one-year, US$12,000/R90,000 project, to build the technical skills of youth care and social workers at institutions and reformatories in the physical and psychosocial care and management of HIV/AIDS. The grant has been made to the National Association of Child Care Workers. The beneficiaries will be 80 youth organisations and child care workers, and ultimately, children and young people at risk, in the Western and Eastern Cape, South Africa.
  • A three-year, US$411,000/M3 million project, to develop a comprehensive home-based care model for Lesotho. The grant has been made to the Christian Health Association of Lesotho. Beneficiaries will be terminally ill patients living at home, their families and orphans. A part of the grant will also be used to foster a variety of income-generating activities.
  • A 15-month, US$92,000/R690,000 project in partnership with the SACBC/CMMB (SECURE THE FUTURE and SACBC/CMMB contributing equally to the funding). The grant has been made to the Caring Network of Western Cape, and the Care Ministry of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The comparative impact of two home-based care models, one community-based using primary health infrastructure, and the other parish-based, will be studied and documented. Beneficiaries will be community-based organisations in poor and marginalized communities in the two regions as well as volunteers for HIV/AIDS care and support.
  • A US$152,000/N$1,07 million grant to the NHAG/Cactus partnership for capacity building amongst Namibian HIV/AIDS service organisations. The beneficiaries will be community-based organisations and NGOs dealing with HIV/AIDS who will improve their capabilities in the critically important areas of financial and human resource management, governance and program monitoring and evaluation.
  • A one-year, US$52,000/R390,000 project, which will adapt a program that was successfully developed in Kwa-Zulu Natal, in the Eastern Cape area of South Africa (SECURE THE FUTURE and SACBC/CMMB contributing equally to the funding). The program focuses on training lay counsellors in prevention through examining cultural factors impacting on sexuality education among teenagers. The grant has been made to the Women’s Leadership and Training Programme, and will benefit women and adolescents in two of the poorest provinces in South Africa.
  • A two-year, US$142,000/E1,06 million project, which identifies HIV-negative school-going children through blood donations, and offers them incentives to remain negative, in 40 schools in Swaziland. The grant is to the Baphalali Swaziland Red Cross Society, which will set up blood donor clubs and embark on HIV/AIDS information and education. The beneficiaries will be negative blood donors, blood transfusion recipients and school children.
  • A three-year, US$193,000/N$1,4 million project in partnership with SACBC/CMMB (SECURE THE FUTURE and SACBC/CMMB contributing equally to the funding), which will develop and pilot minimum standards for home-based care, by training trainers. The curriculum includes advanced training in home care, counselling and orphan advocacy and support. The grant was made to Catholic AIDS Action/Namibian Catholic Bishops Conference and will benefit people living with AIDS and home care givers in the Oshana and Hardap regions of Namibia.
  • A two-year, US$318,000/M2,4 million grant, to address HIV/AIDS destigmatization through peer education and prevention tactics amongst women and children, in the border towns of Lesotho. The grant has been made to the Co-operative for Assistance & Relief Everywhere (CARE).
  • A two-year, US$182,000/R1,36 million project in partnership with SACBC/CMMB (SECURE THE FUTURE and SACBC/CMMB contributing equally to the funding), to provide a model on how an NGO can support HIV/AIDS clinics within large metropolitan hospitals by providing pre- and post-test counseling. The grant has been made to Community AIDS Response in Johannesburg, South Africa and will benefit people living with AIDS and their families, as well as caregivers.
  • A one-year, US$74,000/P370,000 grant, to research how mentally-challenged people can be given HIV/AIDS prevention education in an area of Botswana that has high numbers of mentally-challenged and ill patients; to assess how the community can be taught to care for infected mentally ill patients; and to compile a profile of the more prevalent mental illnesses that are triggered by HIV/AIDS. The grant has been made to the Botswana Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation in Lobatse, Botswana, and the beneficiaries are mentally-challenged patients, their families and community-based organisations and health care providers.
  • A three-year, US$118,000/ R885,000, project working with traditional healers to conserve plants which have healing properties with regard to opportunistic infections in HIV/AIDS patients. The grant has been made to The Valley Trust and will benefit traditional healers and their clients, as well as nurses and other health care workers.
  • A one-year, US$46,000/R345,000 project in partnership with SACBC/CMMB (SECURE THE FUTURE and SACBC/CMMB contributing equally to the funding) to develop an intensive child bereavement program, helping children to prepare for the loss of loved ones by collecting and keeping momentos of their parents and heritage. The grant has been made to the Oral History Project School of Theology, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg and Sinosizo Home Based Care in Durban, South Africa. It will benefit children of families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, caregivers and volunteers in 14 areas in and around Durban.
  • The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation will contribute US$81,000/R607,500 and is one of a number of donors to a one-year project to equip early childhood educators with skills to integrate infected children and manage relationships and fears from HIV-negative children and parents. The grant is to Cotlands Baby Sanctuary in Gauteng, South Africa, which has developed the model over a five-year period and will now be able to share it in four other South African provinces. The project incorporates HIV/AIDS education for pre-school children, and benefits them, their families and pre-school teachers.
  • An 18-month, US$35,000/R262,500 project, aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS school education and prevention programs, in 25 schools in peri-urban areas in South Africa. The grant to the Scripture Union of South Africa will benefit school-going children between the ages of 10 and 16.

SECURE THE FUTURE is the US$100 million commitment by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company to provide innovative models of care and support for women and children infected and affected with HIV/AIDS in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland. The program provides grants for medical research and community outreach and education focusing on the psychosocial aspects of HIV/AIDS. SECURE THE FUTURE also encourages and funds capacity-building educational programs in medicine, healthcare and public health.

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For more information, contact: Viccy Baker, 082 856 0242