SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, July 12, 2007 – The Director of the Presidential AIDS Council—COPRESIDA, Dr. Umberto Salazar and the Director of the General Directorate for Control of Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS—DIGECITTS, Dr. Angel Almánzar, held high-level meetings with key officials of the Batey Relief Alliance/BRA Dominicana to discuss cooperation between the three institutions to fight the country’s HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis more effectively.

Represented the BRA were Nexcy de León, President, Ulrick Gaillard, Chief Executive, Edilgardo Peña, Treasurer, and Maria Virtudes Berroa, Executive Director.

The BRA, dedicated to human and social advancement of economically disadvantaged people in the Dominican Republic, will contribute US $374,000 through two new projects of multivitamin/deworming and food assistance addressing nutritional needs of 75,000 children and adults, including those suffering from HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, vulnerable/orphaned children, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups. The COPRESIDA/DIGECITTS, in partnership with the USAID and the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, supports BRA’s HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment program through technical assistance and training and access to antiretroviral medicines.

“This great support BRA is offering will help us deal with the nutrition that many of our undernourished HIV/AIDS patients need while undergoing antiretroviral therapy or taking potent medicines to fight opportunistic infections, but cannot access due to extreme poverty,” said Dr. Salazar. Gaillard added that the multivitamin/nutrition programs will help improve the quality of life for thousands of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis sufferers.

For more information about BRA’s HIV/AIDS program, please contact Ulrick Gaillard at (917) 627-5026 or bra@bateyrelief.org.