Srey Receives Lifesaving Care
Three-year-old Srey arrived at the Maryknoll Seedling of Hope Orphanage in Cambodia weighing only six pounds. Initially diagnosed as suffering from tuberculosis and malnutrition, her condition was so severe that several hospitals did not want to treat her. When her condition did not improve, she was tested for HIV and diagnosed positive — but at that time in Cambodia, antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) were not readily available for children and prices were high in neighboring countries. Around this time, the Clinton Foundation, in partnership with Cambodia’s Ministry of Health, was working to get more children in the country tested and put on treatment by improving access to ARVs for children. The Foundation worked to lower the price of drugs, develop a child-friendly tablet, negotiate deals for specialized testing, train health care workers in pediatric care, and improve the national capacity to manage pediatric programs — allowing Srey and thousands of other children to access the treatment and care they needed. Today Srey is a happy and healthy 10-year-old supported by Maryknoll Seedling of Hope. She takes her ARV treatment twice a day and is doing well at school, where computers are her favorite class.