21/06/2004

Blantyre to have U$ 1m Aids lab

A catholic charitable organisation, Community of Saint Egidio, will build a US$ 1 million laboratory in Blantyre to be carrying out Aids tests.

Founder of the organisation Andrea Riccardi said during a briefing on Saturday in Blantyre after he toured some of the projects carried out by the organisation in the country.

Community of Saint Egidio is administering free ARVs in collaboration with Mtengo wa Nthenga Mission Hospital in Dowa and Comfort Clinic in Balaka under its Drug Resources Enhancement against Aids and Malnutrition (DREAM) Project.

At Mtengowanthenga there are about 100 people who are getting free ARVs and some of them come from Kasungu and Ntcheu.

Riccardi said through their experience, HIV testing has been a problem as it demanded sophisticated machinery.

"Currently we're trying to identify a piece of land in Blantyre. We're weighing options between working in collaboration with a government hospital or the university�, he said.

Some of the services to be offered at the laboratory will be counselling, CD4 count, HIV tests and giving of free Aids drugs among others.

Riccardi said the laboratory was expected to be constructed and opened within a year. The facility would be offering free services.

Coordinator of the Dream Project Paola Germano said about 4,700 people have benefited from the project�s free medical treatment.

She said the patients were identified by its volunteers in the communities and were counselled on the importance of voluntary counselling and testing.

"Once they test positive, they are offered free ARVs� she said.

Germano said the project was also combating malnutrition among under-5 children. The malnourished children are taken to its centres for three months for feeding.

The Community of Saint Egidio was formed in 1968 in Rome and has since spread to 22 countries in Africa. It established its office in Malawi in 1999.

0n regional level, the organisation is known for the role it played in facilitating talks between the ruling Frelimo and Renamo, during the Mozambican civil war, which came to an end in 1992.

Its founder Andrea Riccardi signed the peace pact in Rome together with two leaders of the warring parties in Mozambique.

Riccardi said he had met leaders of Renamo in Blantyre clandestinely during the conflict mediation process

Sangwani Mwafulirwa