Donation from OHA Trust to Help Fund Fight Against HIV_AIDS in Sub_Saharan Africa
Ontario Hospital Association
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Friday, April 21, 2006
Donation from OHA Trust to Help Fund Fight Against HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa
Toronto – A donation of $650,000 has been given to OHAfrica, a joint project of the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) and The Change Foundation, to help sustain an HIV/AIDS clinic in the southern African country of Lesotho. The donation was made on behalf of the OHA’s Greystone Trust, which was established in 1997 to support the ongoing operations of the OHA, The Change Foundation, and other approved charitable organizations.
“We are extremely grateful to Greystone Trust for its generous contribution to the OHAfrica initiative,” said Hilary Short, President and CEO of the OHA. “It is our hope that with this step, we can continue to find sources of support and strengthen our fight against what is surely the world’s biggest health challenge.”
Officially launched on World AIDS Day (December 1st) in 2004, OHAfrica was founded with the goal of supporting the introduction of antiretroviral drug therapy for people living with HIV/AIDS in Lesotho, a country with one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world. A team of health care professionals from Ontario has launched the country’s first public antiretroviral drug treatment centre, the Tšepong Clinic, which has become the largest HIV/AIDS clinic in Lesotho.
“With the launch of the Tšepong Clinic, our OHAfrica team has helped to make a substantial improvement in the lives of thousands affected by HIV/AIDS,” said Tony Dagnone, Chair of The Change Foundation. “The funds provided by Greystone Trust will go a long way in sustaining the success of the project, and carrying it forward so that we can continue to help fight the spread of this devastating disease.”
The award-winning documentary, Tšepong: A Clinic Called Hope, chronicling the story of the OHAfrica team as they help launch the Tšepong Clinic, will be shown at Toronto’s Bloor Cinema tonight at 7:00 p.m.
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For further information:
OHA Public Affairs
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