MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES work in Latin America

Since 1971 Médecins Sans Frontières (known as Doctors Without Border in the United States) has treated the world's poorest and most vulnerable people who have no access otherwise to medicines which could save or extend their lives. Infectious diseases claim more lives than wars. 13 million people die from them each year.

Médecins Sans Frontières current projects in Latin America include:

Bolivia: Treating people with Chagas disease in Bolivia since October 2002 (Chagas disease kills more than 50,000 people every year in Latin America. More than 18 million people have the parasite causing the disease in their bloodstream and 100 million people in 21 Latin American countries are at risk of infection).

Columbia: Establishing a health post in Saiza to provide basic medical care for an area of almost 1,000 square kilometres in the hub of a jungle region dotted with small rural settlements and isolated homesteads. Saiza is located in a strategic corridor and used by guerrillas and paramilitary groups. In the last 15 years the town has been the scene of killings, armed raids and gun battles.

Ecuador: Launching a project in Ecuador in January 2004 to improve care for people with HIV/AIDS.

El Salvador: Importing generic AZT to El Salvador. This medicine will be used to prevent the transmission of the HIV virus from pregnant mothers to their babies.

Guatemala: Providing nearly 1,100 patients life-extending antiretroviral medicines in two Guatemala City hospitals and health centres in Coatepeque and Puerto Barrios.

Honduras: Honduras is home to 60% of the people living with HIV/AIDS in Central America. For this reason in August 2001 Medecins Sans Frontiers set up a clinic in the town of Tela, located in northern Honduras, to offer treatment for infections that often manifest in HIV-positive people.

Nicaragua: In northern Nicaragua Medecins Sans Frontiers is treating patients with Chagas disease around the municipality of Esquipulas in Matagalpa province, where almost 30 percent of the population is estimated to be infected.

Peru: An estimated 76,000 people live with HIV/AIDS in Peru and very few have access to affordable treatment. In 2003 Medecins Sans Frontiers focused its activities on HIV/AIDS with programs in Villa El Salvador near Lima.

Every donation received will make a meaningful contribution to helping Medecins Sans Frontiers. For instance:

US$50 treats 75 people suffering meningitis

US$100 can save 75 people dying from cholera

US$200 can give 60 children life long vaccination against measles

US$1,000 helps prevent a pregnant woman transmitting HIV to her baby.

If you would like to send a cheque to Médecins Sans Frontières please send it to the address below:

Fundraising Department
Médecins Sans Frontières UK
67-74 Saffron Hill
EC1N 8QX
United Kingdom
Phone + 44 (0) 20 7067 4241
Fax + 44 (0) 20 7404 4466

To support MSF, or simply to check the latest information on MSF's medical
humanitarian work around the world, click on the link below to visit their website.

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