They help organize community pressure on the government and on nongovernmental agencies to expand treatment opportunities further. Making It Work Aid for AIDS has established a set of procedures to ensure that scarce resources are used to the greatest effect. These procedures include standards for accepting clients, insuring the quality of the drugs, protecting the confidentiality of clients, and following up to see that drug regimens are effective. Just as important are procedures that provide education for professional development and a system of medical review of cases and outcomes. Case presentations are made to a panel of AfA-associated doctors who reside in the various countries served.
Reviewers give their individual opinions about the best drug combination for the patient.
These opinions are summarized and sent to the client's doctor and are then shared with the patient. But to any of the 250 people served by AfA last year, it's a life-giving drop. Jesus Aguais, the director of Aid for AIDS, is outspoken about the need for new drug recycling programs to take on this work and for existing ones to increase their activity. However, he is adamant that recycling programs should be prepared to implement operating procedures as stringent as AfA's procedures. An easier alternative for concerned individuals and groups in the US is to set up a collection-point operation.