Hosts Fang and Gary Bridge, Kathy and Bob Burke, and Suzanne Sande Mrlik and Richard Mrlik, along with Chef Hubert Keller will welcome some 100 guests for dinner and to celebrate, “A Vibrant, Healthy Africa!” at Burger Bar in San Francisco on November 10, 2011. Accordia Global Health Foundation is laying a foundation of cooperation in healthcare, reaching beyond geographical boundaries, and proving that a healthy future is possible.
More than 20 million people worldwide have lost their lives to HIV/AIDS, with over one million of those deaths in Uganda alone. Instead of simply sending money and drugs to Africa, Accordia Global Health Foundation, its Academic Alliance, and Makrere University, and Pfizer, Inc, established the Infectious Diseases Institute. IDI, led by Africans, is a center for excellence, innovation and responsiveness to infectious diseases.
IDI has trained over 6,000 healthcare workers from all over Africa, and has gone from 100 percent reliance on funding from Pfizer, Inc, to less than 20 percent. IDI has integrated itself into the local healthcare system, gaining the confidence of the Ugandan government, which has become a significant contributor. That, combined with a diverse array of local and international partnerships (America is the largest donor), is allowing the institute to create a platform for its long-term sustainability.
Scenes from the event:
