Emeka's Update

While this section will usually be an update on what MLI is doing to reach our goals, I thought I'd use this first "Update" to provide a little history on how the One Million African Lives Initiative came to be.

As previously stated on our web site, hundreds of thousands of Africans are needlessly dying each year from AIDS contracted from tainted blood. I was astounded when I first heard the statistic that out of 6 million transfusions per year in Sub-Saharan Africa, less than 35% are screened for HIV.

My parents were born in Nigeria. I've been there many times in my life and have therefore seen firsthand the heartbreak and suffering caused by infected blood transfusions.

But, it doesn't have to be this way.

Stemming the rising tide of HIV starts with properly testing the blood supply. Testing equals prevention. It's that simple--that important.

Compelled to fight this avoidable tragedy, I sought a partnership with the Safe Blood for Africa Foundation to create the One Million African Lives Initiative. Together we plan to save 1 million African lives over the next 5 years. Working with the Foundation, our plan is to disseminate thousands of blood testing kits while training medical professionals on how to use them and also increase a safe blood supply.

Blood-transfusion test kits are a cheap and effective preventative measure against HIV/AIDS. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 24.5 million individuals live with HIV/AIDS, accounting for 71% of the estimated worldwide infections. Infected blood accounts for between 5-10% (WHO) of AIDS cases throughout Africa, with the majority of these cases being pregnant women and children suffering from anemia and malaria.

Behind these staggering numbers are lives that could have been saved simply by distributing test kits into the hands of properly trained clinicians; all for as little as $15.00 a life saved.

Thanks to generous contributions from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Exxon Mobile and other American investors, we are well on our way to serving a clean blood supply throughout Africa. But there's still so much that needs to be done. For every $15 dollars raised, MLI is one life closer to our goal. Please help.

Emeka Okafor
MLI Chairman