Mozambique: Representative of UN Secretary General on HIV/AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, and Graça Machel, pay visit to the DREAM centre of Maputo
July 7 has been a feast day in the centres of Machava and Matola II for the visit payed by the representative of UN Secretary General on HIV/AIDS in Africa, Stephen Lewis, and Mrs Graça Machel.
The DREAM centres were elected by the UN delegation as model centres for the treatment of AIDS in Mozambique.
Stephen Lewis and Mrs Graça Machel have been surprised in listening to the DREAM activists, Anamaria, Cacilda, Honoria, Marta among the others, who told about their own experience as patients returned to life, and as protagonists in the struggle against AIDS in their country.
The delegation was highly impressed in comparing the pictures taken at the time of the first arrival of the activists at the DREAM centres with their present healthy conditions. A real resurrection!
The delegation was also interested in the protocols, the diagnostics, the nutritional supplementation, all specific features of the DREAM programme. The Mozambican physicians and coordinators explained very carefully all the elements of the programme.
In the end of the visit, Stephen Lewis congratulated the whole DREAM team, and issued a statement about ‘the concern for the heavy situation of the pandemic in the country’ mentioning ‘the experience of DREAM as a model for Mozambique, which must be rapidly spread over other African countries’.
Lewis also highlighted the scandal of the unavailability in Africa of effective treatments already possible in the Western countries. He added that ‘would just nevirapine have been used, at least a half of the healthy children born in the DREAM programme so far would have died or remained orphans. This did not happen, thanks to DREAM’.
The special envoy assured that, on his return to New York, he would talk to the Secretary General in order to promote a concrete action in Africa.