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Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's SECURE THE FUTURE(R) Programme Announces New Findings Confirming Grandmothers Against Poverty and AIDS (GAPA) Has Positive Impact on Mitigating HIV/AIDS Impact in the Community

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Oct. 18,2012 /PRN=KYODO JBN/ --

     Survey finds empowerment programme helps 57 percent of respondents reduce

socioeconomic impact of HIV/AIDS by providing tools to reduce poverty and

emotional burden of disease

    New research presented today at the first Africa Regional Conference on

Gerontology and Geriatrics concluded that Grandmothers Against Poverty & AIDS

(GAPA), a nonprofit grantee of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's SECURE THE

FUTURE(R) programme, has been a driving force in empowering grandmothers whose

families have been affected by HIV/AIDS to cope with the emotional and economic

demands of caring for their families.

    For most of Africa, poverty is prevalent and increasing, especially in

rural areas. Several studies have explored the link between poverty and

vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and suggest that, especially in sub-Saharan Africa,

there is a strong association between socio-economic disadvantage and increased

susceptibility to HIV/AIDS amongst this population.[1]

    While multigenerational households are the norm in rural Tanzania, the

burden of caring for children is usually shared by all members of the family.

When a child's parents die, the responsibility falls to the surviving

grandparents. Findings show that grandmothers and grandfathers who join the

group most likely need support to look after their grandchildren.

    The GAPA study, which was based on 301 questionnaires administered in

Swahili to 45 grandmother groups in three districts of Tanzania, found that

GAPA members benefited from higher self-esteem and saw lower levels of poverty

and stigma in their community as a result of the community-building,

psychosocial support and income-generating activities that are part of the GAPA

programme. The questionnaire focused on demographics, perception and the impact

of peer support groups on quality of life.

    Researchers particularly noted the impact peer support had on overall

self-esteem. In addition, nearly six in 10 respondents (57 percent) reported

earning money as part of a grandmothers group, while about three-quarters (74

percent) said participating in a group improved teamwork and cooperation.

    There are an estimated 1.4 million Tanzanians living with HIV. About

160,000 children are living with HIV and over 1 million have been orphaned by

AIDS.[2] According to the GAPA study, 72 percent of group members reported that

someone in their household died from HIV/AIDS in the past 10 years.

Grandmothers, who are often faced with stigma and increased levels of poverty

and isolation, have become an essential source of support to these children who

have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS.

    Recognising the critical connection between poverty and HIV, GAPA aims to

combat poverty among the grandparents through sustainable entrepreneurship

skills to improve their livelihood.

    "Poverty in the rural communities is a real issue for people living with

HIV/AIDS, but it is also the support that the community members can give to

each other that really empowers them, "said Kathleen Brodrick, director of

GAPA. "For the grandmothers who have been impacted by HIV, our work has really

made a difference in their lives. Even just after one year of being part of a

peer support group, grandmothers universally cited participation, interaction

with peers, friendship and caring as more important than making money through

income-generating activities."

    Empowering grandmothers to influence the policies and conditions affecting

their families and communities was a key goal of Tanzania's National Ageing

Policy of 2003, says Rose Japhet Mkonyi, director, Kifaru Community Development

in Tanzania (Kicodet) and co-author of the GAPA study.

    "Grandmother groups that were introduced to the Tanzanian National Ageing

Policy of 2003 learned that speaking out on issues affecting themselves and

their communities was their right by law," Mkonyi says. "Through the process of

empowerment, there was an influx in the number of older people requesting

meetings with local authorities."

    "GAPA has made a tangible difference in the lives of its members and the

community," said John Damonti, president, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. "We

are committed to providing care and support for communities affected by

HIV/AIDS in Africa and look forward to the continued growth of GAPA. We are

proud to see the sustainability of this programme and to see it replicated in

Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and other parts of Africa."

    About Grandmothers Against Poverty and AIDS (GAPA)

    GAPA resulted from operational research supported by Bristol-Myers Squibb

Foundation's SECURE THE FUTURE(R) and undertaken by the University of Cape Town

Centre for Gerontology to assess the impact of HIV on the elderly. GAPA

encourages grandmothers to be leaders of their community and to educate their

families and speak openly about HIV/AIDS. With support from their peers, group

members develop practical skills, such as how to generate income for their

families, and foster their creativity, self-confidence and problem-solving

abilities.

    The programme has continued to grow and, in 2008, partnered with the

Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's SECURE THE FUTURE(R) Technical Assistance

Program (TAP) to expand its outreach to grandmothers across Africa. For more

information about GAPA, visit http://www.gapa.org.za.

    About Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation and SECURE THE FUTURE(R)

    The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) charitable

organisation whose mission is to reduce health disparities and improve health

outcomes around the world for patients disproportionately affected by serious

diseases. For more information about the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, visit

http://www.bms.com/foundation.

    SECURE THE FUTURE(R) is Bristol-Myers Squibb's flagship philanthropic

programme that provides care and support for communities affected by HIV/AIDS

in Africa. Over the past 13 years, the programme has funded more than $160

million in programmes in 22 African countries, with special emphasis on

community treatment support programmes, care for children and building

infrastructure. For more information, visit http://www.securethefuture.com.

    References

    [1] Mbirimtengerenji, ND. Is HIV/AIDS Epidemic Outcome of Poverty in

Sub-Saharan Africa? Croat Med J. 2007;48:605-17

    [2] UNAIDS. "UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic." 2010. Available at

http://www.unaids.org/GlobalReport/documents/20101123_GlobalReport_full_en.pdf

Accessed10 October 2012 .

    VIUK12NP093, Date of preparation: October 2012

    SOURCE: Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation