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Documentary Transcript: Saving Lives Creating Hope"Saving Lives Creating Hope", February 2008 Documentary Transcript A Film by Still Life Projects, 2008 OPENING PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: When I took office an HIV diagnosis was usually a death sentence. Parents watched their babies die needlessly because local clinics lacked effective treatments. This modern day plague robbed countries of the hope of progress. Governments, the private sector and faith and community based organizations responded vigorously to this crisis. This is really a story of the human spirit. It’s one of the great untold stories of our time. SAVING LIVES CREATING HOPE DR. JEAN WILLIAM PAPE, DIRECTOR, GHESKIO: About three years ago, President Bush called on the public sector, and the private sector to fight one single disease…” A MOUNTING CATASTROPHE MORE THAN 20 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM AIDS HEADING BEYOND HOPE… 33 MILLION PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV DR. PAPE: If you stick together to a plan…PEPFAR… and you have a plan that is doable, you can really do miracles. PEPFAR: THE U.S. PRESIDENT’S EMERGENCY PLAN FOR AIDS RELIEF IT WOULD BE THE MOST AMBITIOUS HEALTH INITIATIVE EVER LAUNCHED… TREAT 2 MILLION A PROGRAM OF UNPRECEDENTED SIZE -- A WORLD-WIDE ALLIANCE OF PUBLIC, PRIVATE, COMMUNITY, AND FAITH-BASED GROUPS… BRINGING TOGETHER A VAST PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS FIVE CONTINENTS… TO FORGE THE MOST INTEGRATED, MOST COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM EVER BROUGHT TO BEAR ON ONE DISEASE. PAPE: One of our main goals from day one is to prevent HIV. PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI PEPFAR SUPPORTS ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR THAT LEADS TO INFECTION…ORGANIZATIONS LIKE FOSREF IN HAITI DR. FRITZ MOISE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FOSREF: FOSREF mission is very big…particularly in a country where we have a big challenge of misery, poverty. In fact, FOSREF is working with the high-risk population related to HIV and AIDS. FOSREF MAKES YOUTH A PARTNER IN THE FIGHT. PELISSIER: My name is Pélissier Néhémie and I am 17 years old. Before joining FOSREF, which organizes seminars for youth, I felt like I was all alone. POST TEST CLUB FACILITATOR: A lot of you tested negative. What behaviors are key to maintaining this status? PELISSIER: The advice I can provide to young people is to practice abstinence. Because you might know yourself very well, but you cannot be sure about your partner. That means you may be faithful to your partner, but he might not be faithful to you. DR. MOISE: This is a strategy that we use. Trained young people, facilitators, they are going in the community and having young people asking questions. They deliver condoms …They deliver materials. They deliver messages about HIV prevention. DR. MOISE:…FOSREF with PEPFAR with the Global Fund, there is a complete complementarily and synergy. And this is why I believe that Haiti has success in the fight against HIV and AIDS. PELISSIER: Even if you grow up in substandard conditions, you still have hope for a brighter future. I want to help young people fight HIV/AIDS to inform and educate them. This is a situation that will benefit all of Haiti. PEPFAR’S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ADDRESSES ISSUES FROM PREVENTION OF INFECTION…TO THOSE IN NEED OF COMPASSIONATE CARE. CRITICAL TO ANY PROGRAM IT SUPPORTS IS RESPECT FOR LOCAL CULTURE AND HISTORY. KIGALI, RWANDA IN THE AFTERMATH OF CONFLICT IN RWANDA, AN ORGANIZATION HAS FOUND THOSE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS TO BE THEIR PARTNERS IN HEALING. THE WOMEN OF 'VILLAGE OF HOPE' CARE FOR HOMEBOUND NEIGHBORS. KAMURANGWA, HOME CARE WORKER: What we do is visit sick people in their home. We help people to feel better so that they can bring up their children. …We do it out of love. PEPFAR KNOWS THE DESTRUCTION HIV AIDS WRECKS ON INDIVIDUAL LIVES CAN SPREAD TO THREATEN THE HEALTH AND STABILITY OF NATIONS. THE MILLIONS ORPHANED BY HIV/AIDS POSE AN OVERWHELMING CHALLENGE. THE UNCERTAINTY OF THEIR LIVES PUTS COMMUNITIES IN PERIL. PEPFAR SUPPORTS THE VITAL LOCALLY-BASED GROUPS MEETING THAT CHALLENGE -- STEPPING IN TO RAISE THESE VULNERABLE CHILDREN AS THEIR OWN. SEBUKARA JEROME, PROJECT MANAGER, CRS: It is very good for the American support to help the orphans and vulnerable children. Vincent, for example, is a head of household child. His brothers and sisters are orphans. VINCENT: One died when I was 12 years old, and another died a long time ago when I was 9 years old. We managed to survive with my three brothers and my sister. THE PROGRAM TEACHES YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE VINCENT NOT ONLY VALUABLE SKILLS, BUT ALSO RESPONSIBILITY -- THE KEYS TO TAKING CARE OF OTHERS…AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE HEALTH AND STABILITY OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. VINCENT: When I started this project, I had hope that my life would improve. It is helpful because I can take care of my siblings. I made this door myself… TO COMMUNITY GROUPS AROUND THE WORLD, PROTECTING THE DIGNITY OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV IS A PASSIONATE MISSION. AMERICA SUPPORTS THIS LOCAL LEADERSHIP. DR. AGNES BINAGWAHO, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, RWANDA HIV/AIDS COMMISSION: When you have partners with goodwill, like our partners -- the World Bank, the Global Fund, and PEPFAR -- they cannot draw your development plan. We have to draw it. And now we can ask our partners to come and support our plan. AN ENGAGED PUBLIC IS THE KEY TO STOPPING THE SPREAD OF HIV. RAISING AWARENESS IS THE FIRST STEP. PERFAR SUPPORTS BOLD PROGRAMS AIMING TO CHANGE MINDS. HIGH ABOVE A MARKET IN TANZANIA, PRESIDENT JAKAYA KIKWETE URGES HIS FELLOW CITIZENS TO BE TESTED FOR HIV. DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA IN THE MIDST OF A BUSY DAY, A PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANY PARTNERING WITH PEPFAR TEACHES EMPLOYEES HOW THEIR CHOICES CAN DETERMINE THE SPREAD OF HIV. THE ALLIANCE OF GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS WILL MAKE SURE THE ONE OVERRIDING MESSAGE GETS THROUGH: KNOWLEDGE IS THE FIRST STEP IN PROTECTION. NOT FAR AWAY, A PARTNER IN THAT ALLIANCE MAKES BREAKFAST FOR HER FAMILY. KHADIJA IS A HEALTH WORKER DETERMINED TO CONVINCE A RELUCTANT PUBLIC THAT TESTING FOR HIV IS IN THEIR BEST INTEREST. KHADIJA: People should know their status so that they can prevent themselves and people around them. KHADIJA WORKS WITH A FAITH-BASED GROUP SUPPORTED BY PEPFAR -- ANGAZA. IT OFFERS FREE HIV TESTING AND COUNSELING. KHADIJA TAKES ITS MESSAGE TO THE MARKET….AND DELIVERS IT LOUD AND CLEAR. AMONG THE CROWDS, MEN AND WOMEN ARE LISTENING. THEY FILL ANGAZA’S TENT IN INCREASING NUMBERS. A MAN NAMED LUPA IS SUMMONED TO HEAR THE RESULTS OF HIS TEST. HE IS IN ANGUISH, WITH A WEDDING ONLY ONE MONTH AWAY. KHADIJA: If a client comes and wants to know his HIV status, he has been prepared to receive any HIV test, even if he is HIV-negative or HIV-positive. THE RESULTS ARE NEGATIVE. FREE OF HIV -- LUPA IS RELIEVED TO LEARN HE CAN PROTECT HIS FUTURE FAMILY BY BEING FAITHFUL .WITH PEPFAR SUPPORT, EVEN THE HIV POSITIVE WILL FIND RELIEF FROM POST-TEST COUNSELING: WITH LESSONS ON NEW BEHAVIOR THAT PROTECT LOVED ONES; CONDOMS; AND FREE DRUGS THAT MAKE POSSIBLE A LONG FULL LIFE LIVING WITH THE DISEASE. AND PREGNANT WOMEN WITH HIV DISCOVER NEW MEDICINES THAT WILL PROTECT THEIR BABIES FROM INFECTION -- SO THAT THEY CAN GROW UP FREE OF HIV. MOSHI, TANZANIA IN THE SHADOW OF MT. KILIMANJARO, ANOTHER COMMUNITY LEADER FIGHTING HIV/AIDS STARTS HER DAY. BERTHA: My name is Bertha, and I am 23 years old. I found out I was HIV positive two years ago because I was so sick. If it is not these ARVs, I think I was dead long time ago because I use and I am still using these drugs. Now I can do anything. I’m healthy and I’m strong. BERTHA: I volunteer at Mawenzi since 2007. RECENTLY A PATIENT HERSELF, BERTHA RETURNS DAILY TO GIVE BACK TO OTHER PATIENTS STRUGGLING WITH THE DISEASE. BERTHA: I like to speak with other patients. I encourage them to use to continue to use these drugs, to live with happy and with hope. BERTHA: These medicines are to start treatment for the baby. PEOPLE LIKE BERTHA ARE THE UNFORSEEN LEADERS IN THE FIGHT -- A GIFT TO THE WORLD, AND TO THE CRISIS. A RISING FORCE, TRANSFORMED INTO HEALERS OF THEMSELVES AND OF OTHERS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH HIV/AIDS. BERTHA: For me, I’m a life example. I thank you for this organization, PEPFAR. PRESIDENT BUSH: This is the impact that has made our Emergency Plan and the modern-day good Samaritans who are implementing it so effective. It's important that we continue the work we have begun. DR. PAPE: This is the first time ever there was such a huge commitment, huge commitment to fight one single disease. And now I am very happy to thank the American people and show them that, if you stick together, to a plan, you can really do miracles. ENDING MONTAGE IN 2003 THERE WERE ONLY 50,000 PEOPLE ON TREATMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA TODAY, PEPFAR SUPPORTS TREATMENT FOR 1.45 MILLION 58 MILLION PEOPLE REACHED BY PROGRAMS TO PREVENT SEXUAL TRANSMISSION IN 2007 1.9 BILLION CONDOMS SUPPLIED SINCE 2004 10 MILLION WOMEN SUPPORTED TO PREVENT MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION 2.7 MILLION ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN SUPPORTED 33 MILLION COUNSELING AND TESTING SESSIONS THE U.S. PRESIDENT’S EMERGENCY PLAN FOR AIDS RELIEF TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS, CONTACT: THE U.S. PRESIDENT'S EMERGENCY PLAN FOR AIDS RELIEF THE GLOBAL FUND TO FIGHT AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA THE JOINT UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME ON HIV/AIDS THE GLOBAL BUSINESS COALITION ON HIV/AIDS, TB AND MALARIA CREDITS PEPFAR PARTNER AGENCIES SPECIAL THANKS TO USAID STILL LIFE PROJECTS: TELLING STORIES THAT MATTER | | | ||
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