SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, April 20, 2005. During a press conference that took place yesterday at the offices of the Batey Relief Alliance and BRA Dominicana in Santo Domingo, BRA?s Chief Executive Officer, Ulrick Gaillard, affirmed that the address of the dreaded disease, HIV/AIDS that has ravaged thousands of lives in both countries must be a combined effort. ?This is a critical situation that requires critical attention. Both sides must bring their scientific minds and political will together to find an island-wide solution to the problem, ? said Gaillard.

The Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) is hosting, in collaboration with Columbia University and Barnard College, its III International Conference entitled, ?HIV/AIDS in the Dominican Republic and Haiti: A Bilateral Challenge.? The event will be held on Saturday, April 30th, 2005 at Columbia University. For more information, visit www.bateyrelief.org.

Also present at the press conference were some of the panelists, including Santo Rosario, Executive Director of COIN, Dr. Consuelo Sague-Beck, Medical Director of the Columbia University Family AIDS International Program, Dr. Billy Laureano of the Bill Clinton Foundation?s HIV/AIDS Initiative, Antonio de Moya of COPRESIDA, Maria Virtudes Berroa, Executive Director of BRA Dominicana, and Nexcy DeLeon, President of BRA Dominicana.

The Dominican Republic and Haiti, each with a population of over 8 million, share the island of Hispaniola. The two countries have some of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the Americas. Together, they account for more than 85% of the AIDS cases in the Caribbean. In the Dominican?s bateyes –rural sugar cane communities– the rate of HIV infection is between 7% and 15%, making HIV/AIDS the leading cause of death among women between 15 and 44 years old. Tourism and the sex trade contribute to the spreading of the HIV virus. At the same time, health spending in both countries is below hemispheric averages and access to medical care is limited. Each country faces distinct challenges in combating the deadly virus that causes AIDS, but their shared border means that any hope of reducing its toll depends on both nations. “Realistically the two populations are much closer than many think when dealing with commerce or migration. The cross-border mobilization issue alone is ground for a response with a serious bilateral effort for HIV prevention, ?added Gaillard.

When asked about the situation in the bateyes, Gaillard concluded, “If the bateyes carry the highest rate of infections in the DR (5% or more), then concrete humanitarian efforts from the DR and the international community must include a direct intervention into the bateyes with distribution of condoms, treatment with antiretrovirals, education and health services. In recent years, the batey populations have become very mobile across the DR city lines and even into Haiti — a chance for the HIV spreading to expand — and the dire need for a timely and sustainable HIV prevention and control program.”

BRA’s HIV/AIDS Intervention in the Bateyes
The Batey Relief Alliance (BRA Dominicana) is developing a comprehensive HIV/AIDS education and treatment program targeting 40 bateyes and impoverished rural communities in the province of Monte Plata, Dominican Republic.

This program is to be multifaceted and will include: identification of patients living with HIV and AIDS through surveys and large-scale testing; counseling; medical attention including antiretroviral therapy and treatment of opportunistic infections; laboratory testing including CD4 tests; support of families of HIV patients in the form of food and clothing donations, economic self-sufficiency seminars and counseling; support of vulnerable children; empowerment of community health promoters and affected families; and preventative education.

This program, when fully operational, will be an example of quality, comprehensive HIV/AIDS treatment in the Dominican Republic. It is BRA?s hope that other organizations will take after BRA?s example and initiate, with BRA?s guidance, similar programs both inside the Dominican Republic and abroad.

SPECIFIC GOALS OF THE PROJECT
The island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, has the most HIV cases in the Caribbean, an estimate of 85%. The batey population of the Dominican Republic (>200,000) suffers disproportionately from HIV and AIDS, and the best estimates suggest that 5% of people living in the bateyes are infected with HIV. With roughly 26,000 people living in bateyes in the province of Monte Plata, BRA estimates that there are around 1,300 cases of diagnosed and undiagnosed HIV within the batey population of Monte Plata.

Through funding and other support from the USAID-funded CONECTA Project ? and the Bill Clinton Foundation?s HIV/AIDS Initiative, BRA has set the goal of identifying and treating 300 HIV patients, roughly 25% of those living in the bateyes of Monte Plata. By targeting 40 of Monte Plata?s 60 bateyes, BRA will be able to reach two thirds of the communities with its education and community empowerment programs. Through these efforts, BRA seeks to reduce the instances of new HIV cases by 5% within the first five years of the project. By offering HIV testing and treatment to pregnant women, BRA seeks to significantly reduce vertical transmission of HIV. []

AN URGENT APPEAL: Time is running out to prevent this new born from contracting the deadly HIV virus.

You can help save this child?s life by donating the baby formulae or financing the baby formulae. Please rush in your tax-deductible checks payable to Batey Relief Alliance at P.O. Box 300565, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11230. You may also donate expediently ONLINE.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Batey Cojobal, January 28, 2005. On Thursday, November 20, 2004, a team from BRA Dominicana?s mobile health clinic visited the home of Nelly Santana to speak with her about BRA?s HIV/AIDS program, evaluate her living conditions, and take blood samples from her three children and former boyfriend. The BRA group included Dr. Jorge Vazquez, Katherine Buckel, a Peace Corps volunteer health educator/translator, Beth Krzyzkowski, photographer, and I.

Ms. Santana was diagnosed in December with HIV through the CONECTA-funded BRA HIV testing program at the mobile clinic. At the time, she was 39 weeks pregnant. We immediately referred her to the Centro de Atención Lotes y Servicios in Sabana Perdida, Santo Domingo, but was released and told to return a few days later to have a caesarian section. Ms. Santana failed to return because of financial constraints and advice from family members, and gave birth naturally in her community on December 15, 2005. The C-section would have reduced the risk for the new born to contract the HIV virus.

Ms. Santana lives in a tiny two-room shack in Batey los Guineos. The house has a 1-room kitchen facility/living area separated from a bedroom by a curtain. She lives with her mother, Seneda and her 4 children: Christian, age 8; Elizabeth, age 9; Jan Carlos, age 4; and Yunior, age 1 month. She reported living with two men in the past two years. The first, Deny De la Croix is the father of her oldest 3 children and lives in Batey Las Yayas. The second, Cambo (last name unknown) lives in Batey Hato San Pedro.

Dr. Vazquez took blood samples from the four children and Cambo. The three older children and the man tested negative, and the baby tested positive for HIV. Because the baby is so young, we have hope that the HIV antibodies given to the baby by his mother resulted in a false positive test. We were not able to locate Mr. De la Croix for testing.

Ms. Santana had fed the baby breast milk against advice from BRA doctors, but commenced feeding formula about 2 weeks after birth. The reality is that Ms. Santana has no money to purchase the formulae ? and the continuing breastfeeding to her child will likely result in his contraction of the virus. BRA Dominicana provided the baby with a week of formula, and has only one week?s supply remaining to offer Ms. Santana.

The HIV positive mother is forced to breastfeed her child because she has no money to buy baby formulae. BRA could only help with a two-week supply. We have until Wednesday, February 9th to re-supply the mother with baby formulae. You can help save this child?s life by donating the baby formulae or financing the baby formulae.

Because of extreme poverty, Ms. Santana was unable to afford transportation to undergo the C-section at the hospital and now is unable to buy formulae to feed her new born ? two incidents that could lead the child to contract the deadly HIV virus. In addition, the BRA program is under funded to help cover the costs of transportation and baby formulae for Nelly and the dozens of other mothers in the same predicament.

?I realize that there are financial complications with giving poor women in the bateyes free baby formula and ground transportation to receive basic treatment, but I am trying to keep the children’s interests in mind, and I see no alternative,? said Thomas Saxton.

The BRA HIV program currently serves 720 young people in the bateyes. They are given HIV/AIDS education and HIV testing free of charge at the mobile clinic. This year, BRA hopes to expand the network of young people in the program by a factor of 5 and to continue to test and educate 30% of this expanded group. Unfortunately, there is not sufficient funding to provide direct care or counseling to patients once they are diagnosed with HIV. They are given 2 free general medical consults to treat secondary illnesses at the clinic and one house visit. BRA does not employ any counselors or social workers trained to provide care to HIV positive patients, nor can it provide HIV/AIDS medications.

For more information on how you can help improve the BRA HIV program in the bateyes, please contact Ulrick Gaillard at bra@bateyrelief.org or (917) 627-5026.

Thank you in advance for your support.
We will keep you informed of our progress.

Sincerely yours,

Thomas Sexton
Volunteer Health Administrator
BRA Mobile Clinic
Batey Cojobal, Sabana Grande de Boya
Province of Monte Plata

BRA secures collaboration of DR’s State Sugar Council (CEA) to renovate/build BRA’s first Medical Center
The Dominican?s State Sugar Council (CEA), which has been a key partner to the organization since its inception, collaborates with the BRA to renovate a medical center located at Batey Cinco Casas in Monte Plata. The center will be part of the BRA?s Humanitarian Health Care Delivery System, in addition to a mobile health clinic, an ambulance, medical missions, distribution of drugs and vitamins, placement of volunteers, etc.

The cost of the center will reach about $1.5 million in terms of renovation, construction and equipment. The CEA has already allocated $40,000 towards construction. BRA is campaigning to find the remaining fund to complete the project by the end of the year. Construction started in December 2003.

The center will be equipped to provide sustainable and long-term health care to at least 50,000 persons per year, including HIV/AIDS education/prevention/treatment. It will have space to conduct medical research, a laboratory, a warehouse to store medicines and supplies, a dormitory to house 5 long-term volunteer health professionals or medical residents, and an ambulance. ?Our goal is to provide complete health care to at least 30% of the batey populations by year 2007,? said Ulrick Gaillard, BRA?s ED. BRA seeks the partnership of university hospitals, health organizations, foundations, corporations or individuals to help us complete this important project. We will accept contributions in funds, medical equipment and supplies. Please contact us at bra@bateyrelief.org.