Through FHSSA, More Than $2 Million Has Been Sent to Africa Since 2004

World AIDS Day Raises Attention for Ongoing Needs

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 29, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since 2004, FHSSA and its partner hospices in the U.S. have sent nearly $2 million directly to African hospice and palliative care organizations to use in providing care to people in villages, towns, and cities.  

These dollars represent donations—some large and some small—from tens of thousands of people who want to make a difference in the lives of African people facing serious illness, including HIV/AIDS.

December 1 is World AIDS Day, a day of awareness and outreach to help people worldwide understand the impact of HIV/AIDS.  

When FHSSA was founded in 1999, as the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa, a major focus of fundraising was around the overwhelming burden of HIV/AIDS in that region.

Now, more than 10 years later, even though life-enhancing anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) are reaching some people who need them, the need for palliative care services remains vast.  While individuals with HIV are experiencing some signs of renewed health due to ARVs, they often experience other opportunistic infections due to decreased immune system function, social stigma, and financial hardship.  In addition, over half the people who need ARVs still do not have access to treatment.

FHSSA's partnership program provides a pipeline to funnel donations directly to African hospice and palliative care programs in 14 different countries. A dollar can go a very long way in Africa, and so the impact of these donations is tremendous.

In addition to these donations, FHSSA has received significant grant funding from the U.S. government and other organizations, to conduct capacity-building work with African partners in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Since 2006, more than $5 million in grant funding has supported those efforts.

At present, 89 hospice partners from organizations across the U.S. provide resources to advocate for and assist in the provision of quality, compassionate hospice and palliative care in Africa.  Each year, FHSSA and its program partners touch the lives of approximately a quarter million individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other illnesses.  FHSSA and our partners support compassionate care where the need is great and resources are few.

You can be part of the effort to make universal access to hospice and palliative care a reality for those living with a life threatening illness in Africa.  To learn more about FHSSA and its work in countries throughout Africa please visit www.fhssa.org. To donate right now, visit www.fhssa.org/giveFHSSA. For additional information about how you can support the work of FHSSA email [email protected] or call 703-647-5176.

SOURCE FHSSA