Letters | Aids is not a ‘gay disease’, and charities pushing for a cure need all the support in the world
- HIV is no longer a death sentence for those able to afford antiretroviral drugs, but it remains so for millions of people unable to access these medicines
While HIV is no longer a death sentence for those able to afford their antiretroviral drug treatment, it remains so for millions of people unable to access these medicines. Local charities may lack the fanfare of amfAR, but they are equally vital in the link – ensuring that regional sufferers have access to testing and treatment.
In Myanmar, The Angus McDonald Trust, an HIV-focused charity I support, informed me that my “donation covered the entire programme of sending 40 children to school, as well as providing a framework for them to access their [antiretroviral therapy] drugs, managing their holistic care (counselling, nutritional support) and supplying home-based visits.”
HIV isn’t a gay disease; of those 40 children, one is eight years old! With the help of us all, and with amfAR continuing its commitment to a “Countdown to a Cure for Aids”, we will end this blight on humanity once and for all.
Mark Peaker, The Peak