SAN FRANCISCO and INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 2, 2005 — World-renowned philanthropist Mouli Cohen announced today a partnership with Indiana University's HAART and Harvest program, designed to provide food to HIV/AIDS patients in Kenya, Africa.
Today the overwhelming number of HIV/AIDS cases in and around Kenya has caused the program – originally set up as a cultural exchange between doctors at IU and MOI University in Eldoret, Kenya – to evolve into a working model for treatment and prevention of this fatal disease. HIV/AIDS sufferers in Kenya's North Rift Valley are now receiving HIV medication to help control the growth and spread of the disease. However, medication alone is not enough. It is critical that these people also receive food to help them combat the illness and return to health.
This prompted the creation of the HAART & Harvest Initiative, a program designed to provide regular access to food. A ten-acre farm was established near Kenya's Mosoriot Clinic in an effort to produce food locally.
Of Mouli Cohen, Dr. Robert Einterz said, "We at Indiana University are pleased and honored to have the participation of Mouli Cohen. His generosity and dedication to the program will have a major impact on thousands of lives. This gift comes at a time when the entire G8 and much of the world are focused on this problem."
With the help of philanthropist Mouli Cohen, plans are underway for the creation of an additional farm with a continuous irrigation system capable of supporting hundreds of tons of produce per year. This ambitious plan will provide enough food for the entire region and will be carried out over the next two years.
In a recent interview, Mouli Cohen stated, "I am so impressed by the work of Dr. Einterz and Dr. Mamlin and all those that support them. The quantitative effect that this gift will have on the people of Kenya is significant. By acting now we are able to have a major impact in a very short time and start saving lives immediately."
The IU Kenya Partnership is currently following 13,000 HIV-positive patients in 12 sites throughout Western Kenya and is adding 1,000 new patients per month, thereby making this the largest HIV/AIDS care and treatment program in all of Kenya and one of the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa. All of these patients and their families are eligible to receive food thanks to this program.
For more information about the program, please visit or http://www.iukenya.org.
About Mouli Cohen
In his career as an entrepreneur, Mouli has been one of the few to have success in biotechnology and high technology. His start-ups have generated well over $1B in shareholder value. In recognition of his ability to generate mega-investment in the U.S. economy and the creation of thousands of U.S. jobs, Mouli was awarded the first-ever "Millionaire Residency" with full citizenship status by President George H. Bush. For press inquiries and more information please visit http://www.moulicohen.com or contact the Press Agent at 415-902-2802.
About Indiana University
Founded in 1820 with the vision of educational access and opportunity, Indiana University continues its work as one of the nation's top research institutions. A total of eight campuses service the state, offering 882 degree programs to more than 99,000 students. Its School of Medicine is the second largest in the nation and has made significant contributions to cancer research, genomics, and other fields within the life sciences. For information about supporting Indiana University, contact the Indiana University Foundation at 800-558-8311 or visit http://www.iufoundation.iu.edu.
# # #