In February 2002 the antiretroviral therapy was introduced in the DREAM center of Machava, Maputo, the first DREAM center in Mozambique and whole Africa. DREAM was born at a time when ARV treatment was already spread in the rich world but seemed not fit for Africa; no one believed in the possibility of treating the AIDS sick people in Africa.
The Community of Sant’Egidio was the first to pursue that dream. And showed the possibility of its coming true. Up to now. With tens of thousands of patients under therapy, with rates of adherence higher than those in the western world, with 23,500 children born healthy from HIV positive mothers, with more than 230,000 people assisted, with 40 day hospital centers and 20
The starting of the Program in the outskirts of Maputo marked a turning point in the history of the treatment of AIDS. It demonstrated the possibility of treatment in resource-limited settings. DREAM has created a model of AIDS care and prevention of the mother to child transmission of HIV in African contexts that up to today has achieved results never before attained in such sites.
So happy birthday DREAM, and long live on!
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