MRA serves a community that survives on less than 1$ a day. Hospitals in this area, due to underfunding, require that patients arrive at the hospital with nessessary medical supplies in order to be served http://www.mra-africa.org http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Sat, 21 May 2005 16:00:15 +0530 Sat, 21 May 2005 15:59:53 +0530 FeedForAll v1.0 (1.0.2.0) unlicensed version Motivated by the belief that health is a basic human right, the Medical Relief Alliance’s mission is to improve the health and economic well-being of people in Sub-Saharan Africa. More than 1 million of Kenyans are estimated to be HIV positive. Only 11,000 are receiving anti-retroviral treatment. In the area of Kenya where MRA works, the World Health Organization estimates that as many as 25% of pregnant women have HIV/AIDS. Proper treatment can prevent transmission of the virus to the unborn child. The Medical Relief Alliance was founded in 2002 by individuals, including two Kenyans, who decided to deticate their talent and energy towards a brighter future for Africa. Jeffrey Zachs in his book Ending Poverty addresses the fact that poor health is one of the greatest obsticals to development in this part of the world. An estimated 3 million Africans, 1 million being African children, die of the preventable and treatable disease malaria each year. Kenya is one of the nine countries hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS pandamic with nearly 900,000 AIDS orphans and rates of HIV among pregnant women are as high as 25% in the areas where we work. To address these and other health crisis MRA has established a four-step public health model in Kenya; 1) health education, 2) diagnostic testing, 3) economic empowerment, and 4) improving access and quality of health care. MRA serves a community that survives on less than 1$ a day. Hospitals in this area, due to underfunding, require that patients arrive at the hospital with nessessary medical supplies in order to be served. I’d like to thank all of our individual contributors in 2005 who have given funds to improve these conditions. A donation of $25 enables us to send a mobile HIV testing clinic to a rural area where we provide testing and cousiling for up to 15 people. A donation of $100 allows us to provide a family with a small loan in order to create an income generating business. Larger contributons allow us to not only improve quality of life but also to save lives. Foundations who support MRA, such as the MK Foundation through the establishment of the Kasmir Health and Economic Empowerment Center, enable us to improve the quality of health care throughout Kenya. Thank you again for your interest and for supporting our cause. http://www.mra-africa.org/index.htm Sat, 21 May 2005 15:59:53 +0530