Yayasan Sime Darby’s a PAL of hope

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Aids Foundation received RM1.5million from Yayasan Sime Darby to help underprivileged HIV patients through its PAL scheme, a medical assistance initiative to provide lifesaving second line antiretroviral medicines.
The contribution will be spread out over three years.
YSD's governing council member Datin Paduka Zaitoon Othman presented a cheque for the amount to MAF chairman Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzamanat at the Sentul Perdana Community Centre today.
"We are here to assist MAF and we hope that this RM1.5 million can help those who can't afford the second line medication" said Zaitoon at the press conference after the presentation. YSD chief executive officer Yatela Zainal Abidin was also present.
Also present was a HIV patient of Adeeba, who only wanted to be known as Salina.
The single mother who contracted HIV from her late husband in 2003, struggled to keep paying for her treatment as she only earned RM1,000 monthly as a factory worker. Furthermore the 42-year-old from Kota Tinggi, Johor, is raising her children on her own.
She received the first line of the antiretroviral medicine from a local government hospital but did not respond well to the treatment.
After years of battling one debilitating side effect after another which affected her ability to work and manage her family, Adeeba whom Salina met 10 years ago, proposed a second line antiretroviral treatment.
Unfortunately, the second line antiretroviral treatment is not subsidized by the government, and it was beyond her means.
But thanks to the MAF's PAL Scheme Salina's life has significantly changed since undergoing the treatment in 2009. PAL scheme became her new beacon of hope to continue living for her children's sake.
Salina responded to the second line treatment provided by PAL scheme well and is now leading a healthier life.
Adeeba said while the cure and vaccination for HIV remain is still being researched, antiretroviral drugs are our best bet in not only treating people with HIV but also preventing the virus from being transmitted to people who are unaffected.
She also shared that the Ministry of Health's projections showed that by 2015, more than 14,764 AIDS related death could be averted with the aggressive roll out of antiretroviral treatments by the government which began in 2002.
However, treatment coverage currently stands at 45% which is far below the national target of 80% of all people living with HIV who is eligible for antiretroviral treatment.
"With this new YSD grant, MAF is looking at expanding the PAL scheme in particular to underprivileged people living with HIV in the East Coast and northern parts of the country" said Yatela.
YSD also held a Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house during the event, attended by people living with HIV, single mothers, children orphaned by HIV & AIDS and beneficiaries of PAL scheme themselves.