October 7, 2009

Bill Clinton Increases HIV/AIDS Treatment Services in Haiti

Former President Bill Clinton—representing the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI)— signed an agreement with Haitian President René Préval to expand access to HIV/AIDS care and treatment services in the country, The Daily Tell reports.

According to the article, the agreement will allow the organization to lend on-the-ground programmatic and technical support to the country’s government, which will strengthen delivery of primary health care services.

Haiti has an HIV prevalence rate of 2.2 percent and can only provide care to half of those who need it. In addition, less than half of pregnant women deliver in a health care facility, giving rise to mother-to-child transmission as well as infant mortality rates. 

“My foundation’s global AIDS work began in the Bahamas, the setting for one of the great success stories in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” Clinton said. “I am confident that by using the same approach that is currently helping 2 million people access lifesaving treatment around the world, we can achieve the same success in Haiti.”

CHAI operates in four other Caribbean countries, including the Dominican Republic, where the organization has nearly doubled the coverage of infant HIV testing and has put more than 200 positive children on treatment.

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