"If we've learned anything in 25 years," said Dr. Peter Piot, the former director of UNAIDS, "it's that communities can take control of [HIV]. Our role isn't to rescue them. It's to support them." (As quoted in Newsweek, May 15, 2006.)

In partnership with the Malawi Ministry of Health, Dignitas has provided life-extending antiretroviral (ARV) therapy to thousands of children and adults in Malawi in southern Africa, a country devastated by the AIDS pandemic. Each month, hundreds of new patients are gaining access to medications that will not only keep them alive and improve their health, but also enable them to work, support their families, contribute to their communities, and allow children to continue their education.

You can learn more by reading stories from the field.

Dignitas has been working with the Ministry of Health in Zomba District since October 2004. More than 13,500 children and adults have been started on life-saving ARVs.* Hundreds of patients continue to gain access to these medications each month. (Read about the impacts of underfunding the AIDS response on our work in Malawi.)

As of June 30, 2010:

• An average of 4,000+ people continue to be tested for HIV each month at 41 HIV Testing & Counselling (HTC) sites;
• 95,000+ mothers-to-be have accessed Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) services to help prevent transmission of HIV to their newborns;
• Mothers-to-be continue to access PMTCT services each month at 29 PMTCT sites.

*All statistics are collected in collaboration with the Zomba District Health Office.

Read more about Dignitas's programming.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, we can be reached at:

info@dignitasinternational.org