Born Free of HIV in West Africa

GAIA Vaccine Foundation prides itself in having no babies born HIV positive at Hope Center Clinic. This is a moment to celebrate, but not a moment to pause the work done to get here. GAIA VF is able to offer this standard of care due to the combined effort of testing pregnant women, along with education programs, and access to care. 

Unfortunately, there is an extremely limited quantity of COVID-19 vaccines available in Mali and the threat of the pandemic is still a major concern. This creates barriers in the access of testing, care, and also creating a higher risk of transmission. Now more than ever, we must continue to offer these services in new ways. A recent study conducted at our clinic included the use of Pratt Pouches for HIV positive pregnant women. This pouch contains a small dosage of antiretroviral drugs to deliver to newborn babies to prevent the transmission of HIV. The convenience of this pouch allows this medicine to be administered at home and contains a shelf life of 9-12 months. Unfortunately, this pouch is not yet widely available. 

Your donation to the Born Free of HIV in West Africa campaign allows GAIA VF to continue to keep up the work we have seen truly impacts of the lives of those in the Sikoro community. A donation of $25 supports HIV testing for five women at our clinic. We believe there are the resources and technologies available to prevent all babies being born HIV free. Help us offer the solutions to keeping this true in Mali. 

Thank you for your support!