This week Brazil is hosting a meeting with other developing nations on assistance in dealing with Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS.
At the moment Brazil provides such aid to Mozambique, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Burkina Fasso, Bolivia and Paraguay.
The idea is to expand the program to Portuguese-speaking nations, such as Guinea-Bissau, Cabo Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, and East Timor.
That would take place at the beginning of next year and practically double the size of the program.
The ultimate goal is to provide universal access to medicine and treatment, which is how the program works in Brazil.
However, at the moment Brazilian international AIDS assistance is limited to 100 patients in each of the participating countries.
They receive guidance, treatment and retroviral drugs manufactured in Brazil by state-run pharmaceutical industries.
An offshoot of the program provides assistance to pregnant women, children and adolescents in a partnership effort with Unicef and the UN AIDS program (Unaids).
According to Pedro Chequer, the director of the Brazilian STD/AIDS program, participating countries set their own goals in consultation with Brazil and receive assistance with technology transfers and HIV/AIDS clinic management.
“Our proposal is to begin the expansion immediately. We are ready. We have the money and the capacity. Our partner, Unicef, is ready,” says Chequer.
Agência Brasil
Translator: Allen Bennett