FACES documentary short

FACEing the Global Health Challenge: How FACES is ramping up HIV services in the highest prevalence region in Kenya.

HIV/AIDS has dropped the life expectancy in Kenya from 64 to 48 years. In parts of western Kenya, 40% of the adults are infected with HIV, and most of them are young working adults with children and families. When they die, their children will become one of the 15 million AIDS orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the added risk of becoming child prostitutes and child soldiers. HIV/AIDS is devastating Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa.

We now have life-saving, relatively affordable HIV medications in Kenya. But now the challenge to how to get the medications to the people. Only 20% of the Kenyans who really need HIV medications (based on their health status) are getting these medications. There are only 14 doctors per 100,000 people in Kenya- compare this to having 256 doctors per 100,000 people in the US; that's almost 20 times fewer doctors for 20 times more HIV cases.

What do we do about this pandemic? The UN wants us to provide HIV care to all people living with HIV/AIDS by 2010. Can we do this? FACES, the clinical program featured in this documentary is trying to do exactly that. They are a vibrant, dedicated group of Kenyans working hard to provide HIV care to people in even the most remote island communities of Kenya. And they are doing it with compassion and with the best possible treatments we can make available to places without electricity or running water. They are going to places where there are no doctors.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• HIV
• AIDS
• Sub-saharan
• Africa
• health
• justice
• FACES
• sophy
• wong
• Kisumu
• Kenya
• Suba
• documentary

[marycwn06]

This is really a nice and informative video.

I wish the members of Faces in Kisumu and all these beautiful brave people all the best. I'll keep an eye on you. Mary