20 April, 2005
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, April 20, 2005. During a press conference that took place yesterday at the offices of the Batey Relief Alliance and BRA Dominicana in Santo Domingo, BRA?s Chief Executive Officer, Ulrick Gaillard, affirmed that the address of the dreaded disease, HIV/AIDS that has ravaged thousands of lives in both countries must be a combined effort. ?This is a critical situation that requires critical attention. Both sides must bring their scientific minds and political will together to find an island-wide solution to the problem, ? said Gaillard.
The Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) is hosting, in collaboration with Columbia University and Barnard College, its III International Conference entitled, ?HIV/AIDS in the Dominican Republic and Haiti: A Bilateral Challenge.? The event will be held on Saturday, April 30th, 2005 at Columbia University. For more information, visit www.bateyrelief.org.
Also present at the press conference were some of the panelists, including Santo Rosario, Executive Director of COIN, Dr. Consuelo Sague-Beck, Medical Director of the Columbia University Family AIDS International Program, Dr. Billy Laureano of the Bill Clinton Foundation?s HIV/AIDS Initiative, Antonio de Moya of COPRESIDA, Maria Virtudes Berroa, Executive Director of BRA Dominicana, and Nexcy DeLeon, President of BRA Dominicana.
The Dominican Republic and Haiti, each with a population of over 8 million, share the island of Hispaniola. The two countries have some of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the Americas. Together, they account for more than 85% of the AIDS cases in the Caribbean. In the Dominican?s bateyes –rural sugar cane communities– the rate of HIV infection is between 7% and 15%, making HIV/AIDS the leading cause of death among women between 15 and 44 years old. Tourism and the sex trade contribute to the spreading of the HIV virus. At the same time, health spending in both countries is below hemispheric averages and access to medical care is limited. Each country faces distinct challenges in combating the deadly virus that causes AIDS, but their shared border means that any hope of reducing its toll depends on both nations. “Realistically the two populations are much closer than many think when dealing with commerce or migration. The cross-border mobilization issue alone is ground for a response with a serious bilateral effort for HIV prevention, ?added Gaillard.
When asked about the situation in the bateyes, Gaillard concluded, “If the bateyes carry the highest rate of infections in the DR (5% or more), then concrete humanitarian efforts from the DR and the international community must include a direct intervention into the bateyes with distribution of condoms, treatment with antiretrovirals, education and health services. In recent years, the batey populations have become very mobile across the DR city lines and even into Haiti — a chance for the HIV spreading to expand — and the dire need for a timely and sustainable HIV prevention and control program.”
BRA’s HIV/AIDS Intervention in the Bateyes
The Batey Relief Alliance (BRA Dominicana) is developing a comprehensive HIV/AIDS education and treatment program targeting 40 bateyes and impoverished rural communities in the province of Monte Plata, Dominican Republic.
This program is to be multifaceted and will include: identification of patients living with HIV and AIDS through surveys and large-scale testing; counseling; medical attention including antiretroviral therapy and treatment of opportunistic infections; laboratory testing including CD4 tests; support of families of HIV patients in the form of food and clothing donations, economic self-sufficiency seminars and counseling; support of vulnerable children; empowerment of community health promoters and affected families; and preventative education.
This program, when fully operational, will be an example of quality, comprehensive HIV/AIDS treatment in the Dominican Republic. It is BRA?s hope that other organizations will take after BRA?s example and initiate, with BRA?s guidance, similar programs both inside the Dominican Republic and abroad.
SPECIFIC GOALS OF THE PROJECT
The island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, has the most HIV cases in the Caribbean, an estimate of 85%. The batey population of the Dominican Republic (>200,000) suffers disproportionately from HIV and AIDS, and the best estimates suggest that 5% of people living in the bateyes are infected with HIV. With roughly 26,000 people living in bateyes in the province of Monte Plata, BRA estimates that there are around 1,300 cases of diagnosed and undiagnosed HIV within the batey population of Monte Plata.
Through funding and other support from the USAID-funded CONECTA Project ? and the Bill Clinton Foundation?s HIV/AIDS Initiative, BRA has set the goal of identifying and treating 300 HIV patients, roughly 25% of those living in the bateyes of Monte Plata. By targeting 40 of Monte Plata?s 60 bateyes, BRA will be able to reach two thirds of the communities with its education and community empowerment programs. Through these efforts, BRA seeks to reduce the instances of new HIV cases by 5% within the first five years of the project. By offering HIV testing and treatment to pregnant women, BRA seeks to significantly reduce vertical transmission of HIV. []
