In October 2007, BD and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) announced a public-private partnership to improve overall laboratory systems and services in African countries severely affected by HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB). With this collaboration, BD is sending small groups of volunteer associates to Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda over the next five years.

The first groups travelled to Uganda in July and August 2008.A return trip to Uganda is confirmed for October 2008.BD also expects to implement programs in other countries during the course of the five-year PEPFAR collaboration.

Uganda is a developing country of approximately 31 million people located in Eastern Africa between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya. A former British colony, Uganda’s official language is English. About 35% of the country’s population lives below the poverty line.

Approximately one million people in Uganda are living with HIV/AIDS, and an equal number of children are orphaned due to the disease. A critical need exists for better laboratory services to support HIV/AIDS and TB programs in Uganda, where TB is the leading killer of HIV/AIDS patients.

Four associates from BD have been selected for the PEPFAR October 2008 Uganda trip which is from 22nd October to the 14th November.

Ubaldo Barbosa fromIndia for CD4 training

David Carr from Melbourne - Australia for QA/QC training

Shannon O\'Leary from San Jose as a logistic Coordinator

Don Callinhan from Baltimore for TB training