Ruedi Lüthy Foundation

Sobre nosotros

The Ruedi Lüthy Foundation (formerly Swiss Aids Care International) was set up in 2003 by Prof. Ruedi Lüthy with the goal of providing comprehensive care for HIV and Aids patients in southern Africa. The Foundation now runs Newlands Clinic, an outpatient facility in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare that ensures long term treatment for some 7,000 HIV patients, and that also has its own Training Centre and Women's Health Centre.

The purpose of the Ruedi Lüthy Foundation is to provide comprehensive care to HIV and Aids patients in Southern Africa. In doing so, we focus not just on HIV treatment for destitute patients, but also on the training of healthcare workers and research. Our commitment is for the long term since the HIV/Aids epidemic will not be stopped by short-term emergency aid but by sustained efforts locally.

Successful HIV treatment hinges on taking our patients' circumstances into account. Most of our patients have no jobs and lost relatives. Disciplined adherence to HIV therapy under these circumstances is a great challenge for them. That is why we supplement the therapy with other services.

What we do:
• Nutritional support: agricultural training, maize farming project, emergency food basket distribution
• Women's health: medical treatment and mentoring specifically for women, family planning
• Psychosocial support: self-help groups, workshops, and psychological support
• Services for children: support groups specifically for children, food support, covering school fees
• Vocational skills training: vocational training for adolescents to get a job or build their own business
• Emergency medical care: hardship fund to finance life-saving operations
• Home visits: support in difficult situations, home visits to examine the need for support

Our works impact
• Newlands Clinic admitted 10'000 patients and suppressed numerous infections of newborns and partners since they started operating 15 years ago.
• Concept of treatment works: Almost 90% of our patients have a suppressed viral load after being admitted to Newlands Clinic. Therefore, they are not contagious anymore, and transmission of the virus during pregnancy is almost impossible.
• Model clinic for HIV: Newlands Clinic serves as a model clinic for HIV treatment since 2008. The NPO "Population Services International" operates three clinics, MoHCC two, and Médecins Sans Frontières six clinics based on our model of care. Newlands Clinic is providing training to their healthcare workers.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.