LARGEST COMMITMENT OF ITS KIND CHANGING THE BATTLE AGAINST AIDS IN AFRICA

Background

AIDS remains the number one killer in Africa - but a one hundred and fifteen million dollar initiative is fighting that battle - and appears to be winning. On the eve of World AIDS Day, the Bristol-Myers Squibb Company makes a commitment to secure the future of women and children in Africa in a way that's never been done before.

SECURE THE FUTURE, a program developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb, combines medical research and care with the development of community services. This unique approach - the first and largest commitment of its kind - delivers modern medicine while preserving the African cultures. This collaboration joins physicians with Traditional Healers, those that Africans turn to for spiritual, emotional and medical care. And for the six hundred and sixty thousand orphans residing in southern Africa, the Memory Box Program allows children to work with counselors to collect cherished mementos, photos and important documents. It's programs like these that are the cornerstone of SECURE THE FUTURE, waging a war on the frontlines in local communities.

Interviews

• Phangisile Mtshali, Director, SECURE THE FUTURE, Southern Africa
• Thami Musane, The Valley Trust
• Philippe Denis, Director, Memory Box Program
• Dr. Pearl Ntsekhe, Director, Disease Control Division, Lesotho Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
• Kwanele and Sandile, Orphans

VIDEO PROVIDED BY: Bristol-Myers Squibb