Who is West Africa AIDS Foundation?
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WAAF 2021 Care for the Caregivers Soirée
This video was produced in 2012. Data captured has changed over the years.
WAAF and IHCC emerged from the heartfelt journey of Mr. Eddie Dane Donton, who tragically lost his 7-year-old son to complications of sickle cell disease. Driven by a profound sense of compassion, Mr. Donton embarked on a mission to alleviate the suffering of others grappling with chronic health challenges. In 1994, he established Care One Hospice in California, laying the foundation for his commitment to providing compassionate end-of-life care.
However, it was a pivotal visit to Ghana that catalyzed Mr. Donton’s resolve to address the pressing needs of individuals affected by HIV and AIDS. Inspired by his experiences, he founded the International Health Care Center (IHCC) in 1998, to mirror the ethos of Care One Hospice by offering dignified care to those in the final stages of life.
Recognizing the urgent need for comprehensive support for individuals afflicted by AIDS, Mr. Donton envisaged a broader initiative. Thus, the West Africa AIDS Foundation (WAAF) was born in 1999, marking a collaborative effort between IHCC and WAAF to navigate the multifaceted challenges of HIV/AIDS.
Despite encountering obstacles such as limited familial support and overwhelming caseloads, Mr. Donton envisioned a sustainable solution. He envisaged a foundation dedicated to raising funds for IHCC’s vital work and prioritizing education on the disease and prevention strategies to curtail the spread of AIDS.
Since their inception, WAAF and IHCC have remained steadfast in the commitment to the HIV/AIDS continuum of care. Their endeavours include prevention, education, awareness, screening, and facilitating access to treatment, including the administration of Anti-Retro viral medicines, and ensuring adherence to treatment protocols.
Aligned with the organizations’ supreme mission, both organizations are deeply invested in bolstering Ghana and West Africa’s resilience against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The collaborative efforts of the organizations extend to promoting health ownership, fostering inclusive programs, and building/enhancing capacity within vulnerable communities.
At the heart of WAAF and IHCC’s vision lies a steadfast commitment to contributing to the global fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other diseases. The mission resonates with a dedication to mitigating the impact of these afflictions on communities, fostering healthier individuals, and nurturing a brighter future for generations to come. WAAF-IHCC today is headquartered in Haatso in the Greater Accra Region and has branches in the Western, Nothern, Ashanti, Bono and Bono East regions of Ghana.
A graphic display of reporting relationships in WAAF
WAAF is governed by a 7-member Board of Directors (BOD), who provide strategic direction to the organization. A Chief Executive Officer is responsible for the overall day-to-day running of the organization and is responsible to the BOD. The CEO works directly with 5 departments (Program Planning Monitoring Evaluation and Learning, Finance, Quality Assurance, Public Relations, and Marketing & Resource Mobilization and together ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the implementation of donor funded projects as well as the overall operations of WAAF. Each of the 5 mentioned departments work with sub departments as listed in the organogram which ultimately leads to WAAF being able to deliver on project results that enhance the health and well-being of its beneficiaries in line with the Mission and Vision.
Our History
1994
WAAF and IHCC were born out of the grievance related to the loss of a child. At the age of 7 years, the first son to founder Eddie Donton died from complications of sickle cell disease. Devastated by his loss, Mr. Donton decided he wanted to make a difference for those suffering from chronic conditions. This dedication moved him to embark on a journey in hospice care and he founded the Care One Hospice in 1994 in California where he was residing at the time.
1998
In 1998, Mr. Donton visited Ghana. Touched by what he witnessed at the time, the idea of starting a facility dedicated to helping especially those already infected with HIV and who had developed AIDS emerged and the International Health Care Center was established. IHCC was meant to replicate what Care One Hospice in California was doing, namely giving those in the end stage of life, the appropriate care to ensure a dignified death.
As AIDS continued to hit hard, Ghana remained without any specific HIV programs and Persons living with HIV would find solace by converging at the teaching hospital in the capital Accra where they had access to herbal concoctions, the only remedy at hand to provide some form of hope. In the meantime, at community level, full blown AIDS patients continued to die without access to any form of support whatsoever.
Between 1998 and 1999
WAAF and IHCC were born out of the grievance related to the loss of a child. At the age of 7 years, the first son to founder Eddie Donton died from complications of sickle cell disease. Devastated by his loss, Mr. Donton decided he wanted to make a difference for those suffering from chronic conditions. This dedication moved him to embark on a journey in hospice care and he founded the Care One Hospice in 1994 in California where he was residing at the time. Hence, knowing of a facility that could potentially take over the burden of taking care of a loved one with AIDS, many dumped these relatives at the International Health Care Center.
Having to take care of so many needy ones with practically no support from family, the strain on the facility begun to increase and this led to Mr. Donton coming up with the idea of registering a foundation that would have two main goals: 1) raise funds to support the works of the International Health Care Center and 2) to focus on prevention so many would not get infected and end up at the facility with AIDS.
1999
In 1999, the West Africa AIDS Foundation was established. Since then these two organizations have worked hand in hand providing care across the HIV cascade, spanning prevention (education, sensitization, screening, referral of positive cases to formal health facilities) and treatment (enrolment into treatment, management of opportunistic infections, administering of Anti-Retroviral medicines, retention in treatment and ultimately ensuring viral suppression)
Major achievement of WAAF and IHCC
- 1463 AIDS patients provided with end-of-life care, ensuring a dignified death
- Over 5 million individuals reached with sexual and reproductive health, including education on HIV to enable them to make informed decisions
- 645, 242 screened and tested for HIV
- 66,724 screened for Tuberculosis
- 3640 enrolled in HIV treatment, (includes clients at IHCC as well as referrals to other health facilities)
- 268 treated for Tuberculosis
- 3200 children saved from mother-to-child transmission of HIV
- 368 vulnerable children assisted through school
- 146 individuals living with HIV assisted with skills training to ensure self-sufficiency.
- Ongoing medical outreaches to schools, marketplaces, hard to reach communities, corporate bodies,
- The current client load in care at the clinic over 2000 made up of men, women, children, pregnant women
Our Core Values
Access to health care for all without discrimination
We believe the right to health care must be enjoyed without discrimination on the grounds of race, age, gender, ethnicity, or any other factor.
Inclusion of choice
We believe in giving people the opportunity to be involved and have a say in matters that affect them.
Equal care for women and men
Treating both genders with fairness, respect, and consideration in terms of their physical, emotional, and social wellbeing is at the core of our services.
Zero Tolerance for stigmatization
Creating an environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, free from prejudice and stigmatizing attitudes is the prime of our existence.
Confidentiality of client information
Client information is the most sensitive in our operations. This is why we ensure that personal details, conversations, and records are kept strictly confidential and not disclosed to unauthorized individuals without the client’s consent.
Combating HIV and AIDS
Our Objectives
- to contribute to the efforts of Ghana and the West African Region in combating HIV and AIDS infection
- to champion Ghanaians and other West Africans to take charge of their health by reaching out to them with needed health services for behavioural change
- to provide comprehensive care, support, and treatment to all persons living with HIV, TB, and other related medical conditions
- to promote programs which respond to the needs of women and men, and those of all age groups
- to establish and strengthen the mechanisms of collaboration and joint management between HIV and TB projects
- to build the capacity of the most vulnerable to ensure they can stand for their health rights
- to contribute to ensuring health for all including the socially excluded
Diagrammatic presentation of the business model
Milestones in the WAAF/IHCC journey
- Dr. Vanderpuye – Donton publishes her first memoir detailing her 16 years of work at WAAF/IHCC
- WAAF receives consultancy from Pfizer through Pyxera Global to help WAAF develop a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and implementation plan
- WAAF initiates differentiated services delivery through the converting of a VAN into a Mobile Clinic
- Dr. Naa Ashiley Vanderpuye – Donton takes over as CEO from Eddie Donton
- WAAF organizes an HIV awareness concert with Rocky Dawuni and various other artists at the Alliance Fancier that attracted over 5000 people
- WAAF/IHCC in collaboration with the Network of Persons Living with HIV advocate for equal pricing of ARVs at Private and Public Health Facilities
- WAAF officially starts its Orphans and Vulnerable Children project, meant to provide tailored services to children of PLHIV
- WAAF/ IHCC started the program ‘Healthy Mothers equal Healthy Babies’ – a program in collaboration with GladStar Ministries Inc and funded and supported by GladStar’s CEO, nutritionist, and HIV expert Stella Lowe.
- WAAF in collaboration with Canadian Crossroads International partnered with the AIDS Committee of Ontario, Canada under the leadership of Elizabeth Dove, Peter Hayes, and Sue Brooks to foster an exchange program for staff and PLHIV
- WAAF and IHCC take part in pushing for the involvement of private facilities in HIV care
- WAAF organizes an HIV awareness day with Rocky Dawuni on Ghana’s Independence Day at the Labadi Beach that attracted over 5000 people
- WAAF joins a group of like-minded organizations (Hope for Future Generations, Socioserve Ghana, Society of Women Against AIDS in Africa) and start the Non- State Actors for Health and Development Platform, meant to advocate for enhanced health outcomes for all.
- In collaboration with both public and private health facilities, WAAF/IHCC start their PMTCT services
- WAAF / IHCC shift from facility level hospice care to home-based hospice care after providing in house hospice care to over 400 terminally ill AIDS patients
- WAAF / IHCC become an accredited Anti Retroviral treatment site and join the Rainbow Network of Private ART facilities
- WAAF organizes a grand public awareness (the Voices Against AIDS Concert – with 14 top music artists and drama groups) at the Independence Square that attracted over 30,000 people
- WAAF starts the provision of services to corporate bodies
- WAAF receives funding from Barclays Bank for HIV preventative activities
- WAAF gives birth to the Almond Tree Group – one of the first PLHIV support groups born out of the hospice program that sought to provide occupational therapy to stronger patients on admission
- WAAF in collaboration with AIDS for AIDS Africa, Economic Development for Africa, Dr. Eric Fleishman, Anita Williams and 20 other medical personnel from Los Angeles, United States, provide training on Universal precautions on HIV/AIDS to medical doctors from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, provided treatment services at the Bujumbura Refugee Camp.
- WAAF is the first NGO to start community-level HIV Testing Services
- WAAF receives Consultancy support from the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) company through Pyxera Global to help
- WAAF/IHCC, in collaboration with the Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners, develop a framework for enhanced involvement of private health facilities in HIV and TB care
- WAAF and its onsite private health facility are among the first organizations in Ghana to implement PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) services.
- WAAF opens a branch in Nigeria and starts the process of registration in Mali
- WAAF / IHCC develop a National Home-Based Care Training Manual commissioned by the Ghana AIDS Commission
- WAAF implements the first-ever Community Systems Strengthening (CSS) project funded by the Global Fund
- WAAF/IHCC move from their Roman Ridge premises to the Haatso premises
- WAAF establishes a concrete HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health Prevention for Schools dubbed the Passion Squad
- WAAF starts officially hosting interns from across the globe for various internship positions
- WAAF/IHCC initiate its first LGBT project entitled Health Equity Project in collaboration with New York University
- WAAF registered in Ghana as an NGO to support IHCC (then a hospice) with HIV and associated conditions preventative activities.