Rwandan Survivors Fund (SURF)
Read more for an online petition calling for the British government to do more to help women survivors of the Rwandan genocide who have contracted HIV/AIDS as a result of the concerted campaign of rape and sexual violence in 1994. The petition calls for the British government to pressure international pharmaceutical companies to make antiretroviral treatment more affordable, or better free, for the 16,000 women survivors of the genocide living with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda today. The petition organisers are hoping to secure enough signatories to be able to submit the petition to Downing Street on the eve of the 100th day of the commemoration on Friday 16th July.
On behalf of the Rwandan Survivors Fund (SURF), we are organising an online petition calling for the British government to do more to help women survivors of the Rwandan genocide who have contracted HIV/AIDS as a result of the concerted campaign of rape and sexual violence in 1994. The petition calls for the British government to pressure international pharmaceutical companies to make antiretroviral treatment more affordable, or better free, for the 16,000 women survivors of the genocide living with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda today. We are hoping to secure enough signatories to be able to submit the petition to Downing Street on
the eve of the 100th day of the commemoration on Friday 16th July.
The petition is online at: http://www.survivors-fund.org.uk
Survivors Fund
Initiative for Free Antiretroviral Treatment for Survivors
What is the Initiative for Free Antiretroviral Treatment for Survivors?
The First Lady of Rwanda, Mrs Jeanette Kagame, this week launched Survivors Fund Initiative for Free Antiretroviral Treatment for Survivors at a Parliamentary Reception. The initiative aims to deliver greater support for the 16,000 women survivors deliberately infected by HIV positive men during the Rwandan genocide by mobilising the international community, in particular governments and pharmaceutical companies, to do more.
How much money do you need to make a difference?
Survivors' Fund has estimated that it would cost only about $12.5m a year to buy the antiretroviral drugs needed to give the estimated 16,000 women survivors infected with HIV/AIDS their lives back. In addition to the $500 per person a year it costs for the treatment, about $4.5m would be needed to support the infrastructure to deliver the drugs to those in need. The total sum is equivalent to half the pension pot of Sir Richard Sykes (Chairman of Glaxo SmithKline) or the salary of Richard Jay Korgan (Chief Executive of Schering-Plough)..!
Why is the treatment so important?
The treatment would enable the women to become economically active again, look after their children and live a relatively normal life. All of this reduces the cost of orphan care, medical care, and frees up hospital beds. And more importantly it gives some hope back to these women, many who have literally nothing left to live or look forward to except death.
Why is it the responsibility of the international community, not the Rwandan Government's?
The international community stood by and failed to prevent, react and stop the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, a Genocide where one million people were killed and tens of thousands of women were raped. The international community is presented with an opportunity to redeem itself. The women survivors of the genocide were neglected once and now they are dying from HIV/AIDS because they can't afford anti retroviral treatment. Is the international community planning to now abandon them a second time?
Why discriminate to support women survivors infected with HIV/AIDS in particular?
Most of the target group for Survivors' Fund Initiative for Free Antiretroviral Treatment for Survivors are widows. They often are the sole survivors of their entire families. On average, each widow supports 7 orphans. And as they continue to die, the number of orphaned children in Rwanda will continue to rise.
In addition, the perpetrators of the genocide
On behalf of the Rwandan Survivors Fund (SURF), we are organising an online petition calling for the British government to do more to help women survivors of the Rwandan genocide who have contracted HIV/AIDS as a result of the concerted campaign of rape and sexual violence in 1994. The petition calls for the British government to pressure international pharmaceutical companies to make antiretroviral treatment more affordable, or better free, for the 16,000 women survivors of the genocide living with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda today. We are hoping to secure enough signatories to be able to submit the petition to Downing Street on
the eve of the 100th day of the commemoration on Friday 16th July.
The petition is online at: http://www.survivors-fund.org.uk
Survivors Fund
Initiative for Free Antiretroviral Treatment for Survivors
What is the Initiative for Free Antiretroviral Treatment for Survivors?
The First Lady of Rwanda, Mrs Jeanette Kagame, this week launched Survivors Fund Initiative for Free Antiretroviral Treatment for Survivors at a Parliamentary Reception. The initiative aims to deliver greater support for the 16,000 women survivors deliberately infected by HIV positive men during the Rwandan genocide by mobilising the international community, in particular governments and pharmaceutical companies, to do more.
How much money do you need to make a difference?
Survivors' Fund has estimated that it would cost only about $12.5m a year to buy the antiretroviral drugs needed to give the estimated 16,000 women survivors infected with HIV/AIDS their lives back. In addition to the $500 per person a year it costs for the treatment, about $4.5m would be needed to support the infrastructure to deliver the drugs to those in need. The total sum is equivalent to half the pension pot of Sir Richard Sykes (Chairman of Glaxo SmithKline) or the salary of Richard Jay Korgan (Chief Executive of Schering-Plough)..!
Why is the treatment so important?
The treatment would enable the women to become economically active again, look after their children and live a relatively normal life. All of this reduces the cost of orphan care, medical care, and frees up hospital beds. And more importantly it gives some hope back to these women, many who have literally nothing left to live or look forward to except death.
Why is it the responsibility of the international community, not the Rwandan Government's?
The international community stood by and failed to prevent, react and stop the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, a Genocide where one million people were killed and tens of thousands of women were raped. The international community is presented with an opportunity to redeem itself. The women survivors of the genocide were neglected once and now they are dying from HIV/AIDS because they can't afford anti retroviral treatment. Is the international community planning to now abandon them a second time?
Why discriminate to support women survivors infected with HIV/AIDS in particular?
Most of the target group for Survivors' Fund Initiative for Free Antiretroviral Treatment for Survivors are widows. They often are the sole survivors of their entire families. On average, each widow supports 7 orphans. And as they continue to die, the number of orphaned children in Rwanda will continue to rise.
In addition, the perpetrators of the genocide