The new therapies have done wonders for many of the people who have access to them, but one continually amazing thing about them is how many pills are involved. Unfortunately, they sometimes go to waste. People with HIV, or their surviving mates or families, often have medications that aren’t needed anymore. Regimens change, doses get adjusted, or people die. Their unused medicines just sit there or get thrown away.
AID for AIDS is an organization which seeks to remedy that waste by receiving donated meds and redistributing them to countries where they are unavailable. Their work, currently focused in Latin America, provides hope for individuals who otherwise would have no access to the standard therapies. AID for AIDS is unusual in that they supply a given “cocktail” for that person which is crucial to avoiding drug resistance. They also supply the patients’ doctors with the latest HIV/AIDS information.
The 501(c)3 nonprofit organization needs all the HIV antivirals, plus drugs to treat opportunistic infections and even general medications. To contribute unneeded medications, send them to: AID for AIDS, 515 Greenwich St. Suite #506, New York, NY 10013. For further information, call 212/337-8043 or e-mail them at aid4aids@aol.com.
This article appears in October 1 • 1999.