Health Care for 500 HIV+ Children in Zambia

At a time when global funding for health programs faces uncertainty, we would like to share that Power of Love’s (POL’s) work is not only uninterrupted - it is growing. Families in Zambia continue to receive the care they need, and new patients are being added to our programs every month.

During the cholera outbreak earlier this year, not one of nearly 6,000 people under our care fell ill. With our Rotary partners, more than 700 families are now drinking safe water daily through durable filtration systems that will serve them for a decade. Children living with HIV are not just surviving but thriving in school, while thousands of families are sleeping safely under insecticide-treated nets that keep malaria at bay.

In addition, our mental health program launched recently, has been embraced wholeheartedly by families and the community. Women trained as community mental health assistants are visiting homes, counseling families, and reducing stigma around depression and anxiety. By addressing mental health alongside nutrition, HIV care, and income support, households are becoming more stable and resilient. These results resonate with new global guidance. Last month, the World Health Organization issued updated recommendations calling for HIV programs to integrate care for diabetes, hypertension, and mental health. This is exactly the path POL has been following for years: treating HIV and women’s health as part of a whole-life, whole-family challenge, where nutrition, mental health, maternal care, and economic security are all interwoven. In communities where disease burdens overlap, integration is not an option - it is a necessity.

Thank you for your continued support and for partnering with POL in improving lives.

Links:

• About our pediatric HIV care program
• Mechanics of this program

The last few months were extraordinary for all of us working to end the HIV epidemic. Two major breakthroughs - one in treatment and one in prevention - remind us that progress is not only possible but also happening. Even if it takes time, we are on the path forward.

First, in Melbourne, researchers at the Peter Doherty Institute have made a potentially game-changing discovery. Using mRNA technology, they’ve found a way to coax the HIV virus out of its hiding places in white blood cells - a long-standing barrier to a complete cure. This could allow, for the first time, the complete elimination of the virus from the body. It’s nothing short of the holy grail in HIV care.

Second, and equally exciting, the U.S. FDA has approved a long-acting injectable for HIV prevention. Administered just twice a year, this innovation could greatly expand access, especially for people who struggle with daily pill regimens or face stigma when seeking treatment. The challenge ahead will be to ensure it reaches everyone who needs it - efficiently and equitably and we are ready for it. These developments carry a powerful message: a cure will be found, and we must stay the course.

At Power of Love, we’re doing just that. Each day, we work in communities that are hardest hit by HIV, delivering care, education, and support to more than 1,100 families. Your generosity makes this possible. And as always, 100% of your donation goes directly to our programs.

We hope this news fills you with the same hope it brings us. Together, we are part of the long arc of change.

Links:

• Mechanics of this program
• About our pediatric HIV care program
• What Makes our Program Unique?