From: rastern@sol.racsa.co.cr Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1998 23:24:54 -0600 (CST) Subject: AIDS IN EL SALVADOR 3 September , 1998 IN EL SALVADOR PEOPLE WITH AIDS REPORT CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM IN GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATIONS By Richard Stern and Guillermo Murillo People With AIDS in El Salvador have been encouraged by recent meetings held with representatives of their National Health Care system focused around receiving anti-retroviral medications. At the present time, the Salvadoran government provides AZT to people with AIDS, but no other anti-retroviral medications. Odir Miranda founder and spokesperson for the Atlacatl group, an NGO working to obtain AIDS medications said there has also been a recent surge of interest in the Salvadorean media about access to treatment for PWA's. Miranda himself, who founded Atlacatl, was severely ill with AIDS and was hospitalized in June. But a donor in California has been sending anti-retrovirales to Miranda since then and he has improved significantly enabling him to resume his advocacy work. Miranda is the first person in El Salvador to publicly announce that he is living with AIDS. Miranda said that Health care authorities have promised a response by mid-September to the group's demands for the retroviral medications, and he is cautiously optimistic. However, he also indicated that if it were necessary, the group will file an appeal to the Salvadoran Supreme Court. In Central American only Costa Rica provides these medications to People Living with AIDS. There are patient advocacy movements under way in Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala. Miranda own recovery parallels the recovery of many Costa Rican PWA's who get the triple therapy combinations, but unnecessary AIDS deaths continue to mount in countries where these medications are not available. This past week, Ernesto, one of the founders of the small Nicaraguan patient support group died at the age of 38. If the 12th Worlds AIDS conference in Geneva, had an impact on access to treatment it has yet to be perceived in this region. For more information about AIDS in Central America, contact us at the address below. We also urgently need donations to continue our work on behalf of People with AIDS in Central America. Richard Stern/Guillermo Murillo Tel/Fax 506-234-2411 e-mail: rastern@sol.racsa.co.cr memopvs@sol.racsa.co.cr Odir Miranda can be reached by telephone at 503-292-6088