Cologne/Nairobi. Malteser International demands a strong rise in the vocational training and employment of qualified personnel for the fight against the immune deficiency disease AIDS. 'Millions of specialised staff - medical staff, community health workers, staff for psycho-social treatment, social workers, and lab technicians - are missing. The modern medical drugs are very effective but may cause many adverse effects that go from nausea and diarrhoea to damages of the liver. Therefore, intensive care of the patients and the regular control of their blood and organs are indispensable', explains Dr. Peter Schmitz, Chief Medical Officer of Malteser International, on the occasion of the World AIDS Day: 'At the moment, only 20 percent of six million AIDS patients worldwide are treated with the so called antiretroviral therapy. In 2010, an expected number of nine million will need this kind of therapy - consequently, the demand for experts will rise dramatically.' According to the World Health Organisation, four million vacancies must be filled. This investment into staff and training will cost more than seven billion US dollar. million vacancies must be filled. This investment into staff and training will cost more than seven billion US dollar.

In the slums of Nairobi, for example, Malteser International experiences how important qualified and sufficient specialised personnel is: 'When we started the project three years ago, the supply with medication was adequate but qualified employees were missing', Schmitz declares: 'The employment and further training of local specialised staff is the key to the success of our work.' Since 2003, Malteser International has been fighting against AIDS and tuberculosis in eight slums of Nairobi with a catchment area of 600,000 people. The diagnosis and treatment, the training of local staff in the health centres as well as the education of the slum residents are essential parts of the programme. Only in 2006, they have yet provided counselling for 23,100 persons until October and tested their blood on HIV/AIDS; already twice as many consultations and tests than in 2005. Obviously, the concept of Malteser International works: The infection rate with the HI-virus clearly declined.

About ten percent of the adult population in the slums of Kenya's capital are infected by the HI virus - thus, the shanty towns belong to the areas that are the most affected by the disease in Kenya. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development recently granted 480,000 Euro for the continuation of the project until the end of 2009.

At present, Malteser International runs extensive health care programmes in order to fight HIV/AIDS in eight countries of Asia and Africa. Next year, a new programme that also covers the education of the slum residents up to the permanent treatment of AIDS-patients with the antiretroviral therapy will be started in India, which meanwhile counts the highest number of people infected with HIV worldwide. The organisation is also involved in the fight against the pandemic as a member of the 'Action against AIDS Germany' network.

Attention editorial offices! Dr. Peter Schmitz, Chief Medical Officer of Malteser International, is available for interviews (Contact +49 221 9822 155 or +49 171 425 63 44)

In order to reduce the suffering of the people infected with HIV/AIDS, Malteser International is in urgent need of donations:

Donation Account 120 120 120 Bank fuer Sozialwirtschaft, Woerthstr.15-17, D-50668 Koeln Sort Code 370 205 00, IBAN : DE49 3702 0500 0001 0258 01, BIC: BFSWDE33XXX Reference: 'AIDS programmes'

For more Information please contact: Petra Ipp, Senior Desk Officer Communication, Malteser International Phone: +49-221-9822-155, Fax +49-221/9822-179; petra.ipp@malteser-international.org; www.malteser-international.org

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