Susan Smith Ellis 2013-06-19T22:39:21-04:00 Susan Smith Ellis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=susan-smith-ellis Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Susan Smith Ellis Good old fashioned elbow grease. Creating an AIDS-Free Generation tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2010:/theblog//3.790054 2010-11-30T20:03:00-05:00 2011-05-25T18:15:22-04:00 Susan Smith Ellis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-smith-ellis/ On December 1, World AIDS Day, more than 70 iconic landmarks in 13 countries -- including Sydney Opera House, St Paul's Cathedral in London, Table Mountain in Capetown, the Empire State Building, Niagara Falls, Los Angeles International Airport and Seattle's Space Needle -- will light up (RED)™ to promote awareness of the world's ability to achieve one of the most important milestones in the fight against AIDS -- the possibility of ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015.


For the first time since this disease began to take hold in our society three decades ago, we
have the potential to witness the birth of a generation of HIV-free babies. It is an inspiring
time. We cannot lose focus now. We should celebrate progress and accelerate action. If we
celebrate progress and decelerate, we will fall behind again and more people will die as a result.


This milestone is not financially out of our reach. Despite financial hardships, if we don't do it now, we will end up spending much more down the line to treat the disease as it continues to ravage future generations. It is incumbent upon us to maintain pressure on our leaders to fulfill their current promises for funding and to seek out new, innovative models to fill the gap. Our World AIDS Day awareness campaign is a reminder to everyone that we must work together to overcome the financial challenges at this critical juncture and to keep the world focused on this issue and achievable goal.




Eight years ago, only 50,000 people living with HIV in Africa, the region hardest hit by this disease, were receiving the anti-retroviral medication (ARVs) necessary to keep them alive. Today, through concerted efforts by the global health community and smart, targeted spending, that number has skyrocketed to upward of 4 million people in Africa receiving treatment. With children and adults living longer, healthier lives, families are remaining whole. This fact has cascading, positive effects across the social landscape.


ARVs offer an amazingly effective treatment protocol. But they are naturally most effective
when administered to keep babies from contracting HIV in the first place. A multi-tiered
approach involving HIV screening of pregnant women, antiretroviral drug regimens for HIV
positive pregnant women, treatment during and after labor, and infant feeding guidelines has
been shown to block mother-to-child transmission in 99 percent of cases.


In the past six years, we've made incredible progress increasing access to this treatment, In 2004, only 9 percent of HIV positive pregnant women who needed treatment had access. In 2008, that had increased to 45 percent and, in some countries that is even higher. For instance, in Rwanda where they receive funding from the Global Fund and (RED), 68 percent of women who need treatment are being reached.


It's still troubling though that for all the progress that's been made in preventing and treating HIV/AIDS, not everyone who needs treatment has access. Nearly 400,000 children were born with the disease last year -- that translates into more than 1,000 babies a day entering the world carrying this immense burden. About 90 percent of these children are born in Sub-Saharan Africa and without treatment as many as half of that population will die before the age of two.


We can and must do better. Within five years, it is completely possible to reach all women who need treatment and create a virtually AIDS-free generation.


On top of illuminating landmarks around the world to focus attention on this issue, (RED) is also launching "The AIDS Free Generation is Due in 2015," a global artists' campaign to highlight the year by which the global health community believes it is possible to virtually end mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Prominent sculptors, painters, illustrators and graphic artists from around the world have collaborated with us to create their own visionary interpretations of the number 2015. The unique images produced in the campaign will be showcased in a spectrum of print, online and outdoor media. Participating artists in this initiative to show just how much this year can mean for millions of children and families include Amy Ruppel, Craig Ward, Ian Write, James Day, Grotestk, Jeremyville, Michele Angelo, Adam Hayes, the Capetown-based Am I Collect, New York's Vault 49 and Barcelona's Brosmind.


The world's iconic landmarks and iconic artists are banding together with (RED) to make this World AIDS Day a countdown to the historic milestone that is possible by 2015 -- a world where mothers can deliver babies without the burden of HIV in their lives.

]]> Born Without the Burden of HIV tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2010:/theblog//3.731191 2010-09-20T08:19:34-04:00 2011-05-25T17:45:25-04:00 Susan Smith Ellis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-smith-ellis/
We are on the verge of a truly momentous development in the realm of global public health -- the emergence of the first generation in almost 30 years where no child is born with HIV. It is possible -- by 2015 -- that we can put an end to mother-to-child-transmission of the virus.

Despite the fact that HIV/AIDS is preventable and treatable, 430,000 children each year -- more than 1,000 a day -- are born with the disease. About 90 percent of these babies are born in sub-Saharan Africa. As many as half will die without treatment by the age of two.

Yet the HIV/AIDS landscape in Africa and the rest of the developing world is far less grim now than it was just a decade ago. UNAids reported last week that 22 countries in Africa had seen a drop in new cases of HIV infections of more than 25 percent. The fall was attributed to greater awareness and preventative measures, UNAids said.

Our organization, (RED), is the largest business sector contributor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. We recently produced a documentary, called The Lazarus Effect, that shows what can happen to someone in the 40-60 days after they get access to treatment. Treatment is no longer prohibitively expensive. Innovation and smart negotiation have driven down the cost of life-saving AIDS medication from between $10-20,000 a year to just $150.

In 2002, only 50,000 people in Africa had access to the anti-retroviral medication needed to keep them alive. Today more than four million people in Africa and five million globally have that access, a staggering result produced by the global health community through smart, targeted spending. Children and adults are living longer, healthier lives. Families are remaining whole.

ARVs are potent weapons, but they are most effective when used to keep babies from contracting HIV in the first place. So the first step is simple: All pregnant women need to be tested for HIV. Those who test positive can immediately be put on an ARV regimen to lower the potency of the virus in their system. Treatment during and after labor helps prevent passage of the virus to a newborn; so, too, does infant feeding guidance, which lessens the chance of transmission via breastfeeding. Collectively, these measures have been shown to block mother-to-child transmission in up to 99 percent of cases.

We'll be much closer to winning the fight against AIDS in Africa and throughout the developing world if we make the necessary commitment of political will and action at this critical juncture. For the first time, we can do more than just imagine a world where no child is born with the horrific burden of HIV/AIDS. By wisely investing and administering the necessary global resources, we can make it happen - in five years. It's imperative that we do so.]]> HIV/AIDS Medicine Is Only One Piece of the Puzzle tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2010:/theblog//3.674033 2010-08-06T18:30:37-04:00 2011-05-25T17:15:21-04:00 Susan Smith Ellis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-smith-ellis/ Businessweek -- -- 'AIDS Drugs Flow to the Third World' -- reports on new ways HIV/AIDS drugs are being manufactured and distributed in developing countries. It's a remarkable story.

In 2002, antiretroviral (ARV) medicine cost between $10,000 -- $15,000 per person a year. Today, in sub-Saharan Africa, the cost of that same medicine for each person, according to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, is around $150 a year, which breaks down to approximately 40 cents a day.

The fact that the medication is only 40 cents a day in developing countries is a stunning accomplishment. Thanks to organizations like the Clinton Foundation, PEPFAR and the Gates Foundation, all of which have worked tirelessly to lower the cost of ARVs, we now have made real progress towards getting the 33 million people (worldwide) who have HIV the medicine they need. In 2002 only 50,000 people in Africa were on ARVs. Today that number is four million. The world is a much better place because of these organizations and initiatives.

Medicine is only one piece of the puzzle. Successful treatment for HIV/AIDS requires education, care, support, food and nutrition, as well as medication. For example, with food and nutritional support, the ARV drugs taken to treat HIV/AIDS, are likely to be significantly more effective. And programs to provide treatment and care go hand in hand with prevention.

At (RED) one of our key objectives is to communicate the message that AIDS is preventable and treatable. We produced a documentary that aired on HBO, Channel 4 (in the UK) and on YouTube titled 'The Lazarus Effect' to show that if people with HIV/AIDS can get access to the medicine they need, they can regain their health and live a productive life. We also created a Public Service Ad campaign to support the film that highlighted the affordability of anti-retroviral medicine.

ARVs are just one aspect of this complex issue, so why did we concentrate on showcasing its affordability? To quote my friend and colleague, Michel Kazatchkine, Executive Director, the Global Fund: "It is true that many factors are important in ensuring that people are able to live healthy lives despite an HIV infection, including good nutrition and proper care. But the one that has revolutionized the fight against AIDS is the reduction in the price of antiretroviral drugs."

2010 is a critical year. There already have been a couple of breakthroughs. In March, the Global Fund, announced that the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS by 2015 is within reach. For the first time since the AIDS epidemic began in the 1980s, it is possible to imagine an AIDS-free generation. At last month's International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Salim Abdool Karim announced that a new vaginal gel reduced the risk of sexual transmission of HIV to women. This is an important breakthrough.

In September, the United Nations will meet to discuss the Millennium Development Goals. In October, the Global Fund seeks replenishment funding for its programs. We are, truly, at a turning point. It will take the collective power of governments, foundations, NGOs and the private sector to keep this global effort alive. (RED) and the global brands with whom we partner remain committed to amplifying the urgency of the effort and the moral power of its success.

You can watch 'The Lazarus Effect' on YouTube.

]]> World Aids Day: You Can Make A Difference tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2009:/theblog//3.374453 2009-12-01T09:00:49-05:00 2011-05-25T14:50:26-04:00 Susan Smith Ellis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-smith-ellis/
The basic idea of (RED)™ is transactional conveyance; I buy a (RED)-branded product, be it an Apple iPod, a Nike shoelace or a Gap tee-shirt, and a percentage of the profit from that sale goes to the Global Fund. The Global Fund administers a well-managed network of health care projects in sub-Saharan Africa to help stem the spread of AIDS. Somewhere in Ghana or Rwanda or Botswana, someone gets antiretroviral medication which keeps them alive or reduces the likelihood that they will transmit HIV to their unborn or just-born child. And so that someone, who otherwise might die or be destined to die, lives or bequeaths a more promising life instead. It's a good deal.

On World AIDS Day, we don't celebrate with fireworks or champagne. We take note of what has been accomplished and we resolve to keep at it. We are proud of what our partners have accomplished. We like to say that they have gained market share for life (and for themselves) and in so doing they have changed the course of a part of human history.

In 2006, it was estimated that only 8% of HIV-positive pregnant women in Ghana received the antiretroviral medicine necessary to reduce the chance of transmitting HIV to their unborn children. Without the medicine, the chances of HIV transmission were (and are) roughly 50-50. With the medicine, the chances of HIV transmission drop to between 1 and 2%. By the end of 2008, nearly 40% of Ghanaian women in need received the medicine that will transform the lives of their children. That is market share for life. And it is growing year-over-year.

On this World AIDS Day, there is improvement in HIV detection across sub-Saharan Africa. The percentage of pregnant women who were able to take an HIV test increased from 17% in 2007 to 28% in 2008. We have every reason to believe that the percentage figure will increase substantially again this year (the final data are not yet available). The goal obviously is to keep ramping up testing until the chain of HIV transmission from mother to child is one day broken altogether. That day is coming, if we keep after it.

AIDS is not just an African disease, of course. World AIDS Day is testament to the fact that AIDS is a global problem. (RED) focuses on AIDS in Africa because that is where the need is most acute. Nearly 14 million children in Africa have been orphaned because of AIDS. There are an estimated 2 million children living with HIV around the globe, 90% of them are in Africa. More than 90% of the children living with HIV are infected through mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, around the time of birth or through breast-feeding. This is a fixable catastrophe ($26 covers the cost of providing medication to a pregnant woman to sharply reduce the risk of HIV transmission to her child). And that is where your (RED) dollars go, $26 at a time.

All around the world tonight, from San Francisco to Chicago to Pittsburgh to Los Angeles to Salt Lake City to Dublin, Ireland and London, England, cities will bathe their municipal buildings and town halls and key landmarks and architectural masterpieces in (RED) lights. All across the Internet, on the pages of Facebook and Twitter and Google, there will be links to (RED) and its partners. An ocean and a world away, in the pre-dawn hours of sub-Saharan Africa, men and women will begin their daily work of doing battle with a viral killer, a battle financed in part by the purchases of (RED)-branded products by people like you.

As the CEO of (RED), I have the privilege of working with great partners at the Global Fund and at some of the world's most iconic brands. Every day, I get to work with a dedicated group of professionals who have devoted themselves to a great conveyance. On behalf of all of them, I thank you for your support of (RED) branded products and the work that it enables.

World AIDS Day this year is better than it was a year ago. It will be better still a year from now. We just have to keep after it. ]]> One Step Closer to Universal AIDS Prevention and Care tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2009:/theblog//3.337266 2009-10-28T14:44:14-04:00 2011-05-25T14:30:27-04:00 Susan Smith Ellis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-smith-ellis/
There are now more than 4 million people on antiretroviral treatments; up from 3 million the previous year. Nearly half of all HIV positive pregnant women who need treatment to help prevent the transmission of HIV to their child during birth are now getting it. And, there are more people with access to testing and counseling for HIV than ever before. The greatest progress has been achieved in sub-Saharan Africa.

As the CEO of (RED), I'm extremely proud of the progress that has been made and the contributions made by our partners (through the sale of (RED)-branded products) to the Global Fund. To date, through the sale of those (RED)-branded products and some (RED)-sponsored special events, we have generated over $135 million for the Global Fund in less than three years.

But the story behind the numbers is much more profound. On recent trips to both Ghana and Rwanda, where (RED) grant money is at work, I was fortunate to be able to see firsthand the impact that access to lifesaving medicine has. I met with HIV positive mothers who were able to give birth to healthy babies because the medicine given to them during labor prevented the transmission of this deadly virus. I talked with doctors, nurses and other health care providers who spoke of the transformation of their own work. Where once they could offer little hope to someone with AIDS, now they can provide medicine that is transformative.

Credit for the tremendous progress that has been made goes to many, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, PEPFAR, health workers and NGOs on the ground in countries throughout the world and by African national governments struggling to keep their citizens alive with limited resources.

While we've made progress toward universal access to medication and treatment, there is still plenty of work to do. Nearly 5 million people who need ARV treatment can't access it; half of all HIV positive pregnant women still need access to treatment to help prevent their children from contracting HIV during birth; and the vast majority of people living with HIV are unaware of their infection status because the simply don't have access to HIV testing.

It can cost as little as 40 cents a day to provide ARV treatment to an individual in Africa and just $26 to provide the medicine to help prevent the transmission of HIV from a mother to her unborn child. These are small things that need to happen on a grand scale.

The UN report outlined a path forward that included expanding the availability of HIV testing, more widespread prevention efforts, ensuring timely access and greater adherence to treatment and improving access to these services for women and children. The more money that is made available to the people on the ground, the greater impact they can have. It's that simple.

As I said before, consumers have generated more than $135 million to support the Global Fund's efforts to provide universal access to AIDS prevention, treatment and care in Africa by purchasing (RED)-branded products. This demonstrates the collective power of small actions - of shoppers simply 'choosing (RED)', at no greater cost to them, and becoming part of something that truly saves lives.

The UN Development Goals set forth a challenge to reverse the spread of AIDS by 2015 and to provide universal access to treatment for those with HIV/AIDS by 2010. It's not going to be easy, but it's possible. And we're gaining on it. ]]> This Valentine's Day, Make Your Gift (RED) tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2009:/theblog//3.166851 2009-02-13T16:45:03-05:00 2011-11-17T09:02:45-05:00 Susan Smith Ellis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-smith-ellis/
Better idea: (RED) products. They're the right color (red). Desire and virtue neatly packaged all in one. And they have an immediate impact on the lives of others.

When you buy a (RED) product you make a choice that literally saves lives in Africa. A (RED) iPod is the same price as any other iPod, but when you choose the (RED) iPod, Apple makes a contribution to The Global Fund. That contribution is put to use directly on the ground in Africa. That's how the (RED) model works - with each and every partner we have.

And it's been working. Thanks to consumers all over the world, (RED)-branded product partners have generated more than $120 million to the Global Fund in just over 2 years.

In fact, The Global Fund now estimates that if (RED) were a country, it would be the 11th largest donor to African HIV and AIDS programs in the world. The combined revenue has impacted the lives of over 2.5 million people. That's a lot of love shared.

With an issue as large as HIV in Africa and a need so great, there is always more to be done, especially in economic times when budgets are being cut, and donations to groups assisting with HIV and AIDS in Africa are down dramatically. We believe (RED) will prove to be the sustainable model that helps get medicine to the people who need it even in tough times - but that will only happen with your help.

So here is a list of our partners: American Express, Apple, Converse , Dell, Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark, Microsoft and Starbucks.

We hope that you'll buy their (RED) products and extend the reach of Valentine's Day to people a world away. And make the one you love happy.
]]> What World AIDS Day Means To Me tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2008:/theblog//3.147393 2008-12-01T10:55:03-05:00 2011-11-17T09:02:45-05:00 Susan Smith Ellis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-smith-ellis/ (RED).

For me, today is a day where I think of what still needs to be done, of the literally millions of people we still need to help in Africa who are fighting to survive. I recently traveled to Rwanda and saw the impact of the (RED) money at work. Clinics that a few years ago lacked basic sanitation and supplies, now are functioning well and helping thousands of people live a better life. Real results in preventing mother to child transmission of the virus . Real progress in getting the anti retroviral drugs to those in need and to stemming the spread of AIDS. However, this clearly isn't work that is finished and today is the day where I see not only how far we've come, but how much more remains to be done.

In sub-Saharan Africa, over 4,000 lives are lost every day to this preventable, treatable disease. Mothers and fathers die for lack of two pills that cost 40 cents a day. There are 12 million AIDS orphans in Africa, and it is projected that there could be 18 million by the end of the decade. Children bringing up children. It's not a cause. It's an emergency.

The numbers can seem overwhelming, the size of the epidemic so massive, that we ask, what can one person do? Well, thanks to (RED) purchases, you have driven $115 million into the Global Fund to buy the two pills a day that keep a person living with HIV in Africa alive. Through the power of the purse you have caused companies to give a percentage of their profits to the Global Fund.

And today, Starbucks is donating 5 cents for every single drink sold directly to The Global Fund and throughout the rest of the holiday season, there will be special (RED) drinks available at Starbucks. They sell 50 million cups of coffee every day. You do the math -- potentially millions will be delivered to the fund. And all you have to do is buy a cup of coffee. At no extra cost to you.

Also today, we are launching (RED) WIRE, a digital music magazine that, for $5 a month, gives you amazing music from artists like John Legend, U2, Jenny Lewis, Keith Urban, Elvis Costello and more. You'll also get special content and updates from Africa -- with half the money going directly to The Global Fund. There's a launch party going on right now at red.msn.com -- stop by and you can sign up for two free issues of (RED) WIRE.

Tomorrow, it won't be World AIDS Day again, but the need will still be there as it will be every single day from now to next December 1st. I hope that as you look at your holiday list, you'll think about including some (RED) gifts -- buy (RED) and you save lives, it's as simple as that. To all of you who choose (RED), thank you. What you choose to buy matters.]]> (RED) at Work in Rwanda tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2008:/theblog//3.127160 2008-09-17T13:24:52-04:00 2011-11-17T09:02:45-05:00 Susan Smith Ellis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-smith-ellis/
In May 2006, Rwanda became the first country to receive (RED) money through the Global Fund. The announcement was made at a press conference in Kigali by Bono and Richard Feachem, the then-Executive Director of the Fund. In those days, just 28 months ago, up to six people shared single beds in Kigali Hospital's HIV/AIDS wards. Conditions were so bad that visiting the Kigali wards was itself a health risk. As Bono said at the time, the conditions were "obscene."

In the two-plus years since that announcement, the Global Fund has wired more than $22 million of (RED) money to Rwanda. Last week, I visited the same clinic - the Treatment Research and AIDS Center (or TRAC) -to witness, first hand, the impact of that funding. The effect has been transformational.



We walked through TRAC wards to see that adults and children no longer share beds. Increased funding for HIV/AIDS has allowed TRAC's Director, Dr Anita Asiimwe to lighten case loads by referring clients to other clinics closer to homes, where they are able to receive follow-up care and antiretroviral medication. TRAC is clean, well-staffed, well-managed.

Later, we visited a young woman named Denyse at her home in Kigali. Bono first met her in May of 2006. At that time, Denyse was in the pediatric hospital, emaciated, almost skeletal from AIDS. She's now ten, healthy and doing well in school. Her mom Esperance and father Dennis can hardly contain their joy at having their daughter's future restored.

In 2007, Dr Agnes Binagwaho, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight Against HIV/AIDS in Rwanda, described (RED) as the "middle piece" to Rwanda's economic development. She explained that before (RED), she and her colleagues weren't sure if additional funds would be available to support HIV and AIDS work. They were worried that what they had built would crumble if money dried up. But, as she said, "(RED) monies ensured the sustainability of Rwanda's efforts. (RED) brought the positive energy back, allowing creativity and innovation to flow again." It was the middle piece "upon which we could place the next floor of upwards progress."


Rwanda has seen true horror and unimaginable suffering. The genocide in 1994 saw an estimated 1,000,000 people slaughtered in 100 days; ten thousand people a day. This history makes Rwanda's ambition to have a middle-class economy by 2020 all the more impressive and all the more daunting. (RED) money is helping the country achieve its healthcare goals, which in turn enables the Government to embark upon an equally impressive and ambitious economic growth strategy.

Some of their results so far:

In 2003, when the first Global Fund grant was made to Rwanda, 5% of the population was HIV-positive, while 11.6% of pregnant women were testing positive for HIV in antenatal clinics in 2002. By the end of 2003, 22,000 people had died from AIDS and 160,000 children between the ages of 0 to 17 had been orphaned as a result of the pandemic1.

That HIV prevalence rate is now down to 3% for adults amongst Rwanda's 9 million inhabitants. Among the recent improvements in Rwanda's HIV response is the expansion of services for preventing HIV transmission from mothers to children. In addition, more male partners are attending prevention of mother-to-child transmission services with their wives and girlfriends. According to one study, the percentage of men doing so increased from 9% in 2003 to 74% at the end of 20062.

Rwanda has achieved the highest coverage of any low-income country in 2007 for both antiretroviral therapy (71% up from 1% in 2003) and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (55%). This increased coverage has been aided by a 40-fold increase in the number of antiretroviral treatment (ART) sites across the country3 and (RED) can take some of the credit for helping the Government.

When people ask me what I do at (RED), I tell them that we are trying to build a sustainable brand that translates easily for consumers. If you buy an Apple (PRODUCT)RED iPod nano, for the same price as a "regular" Apple iPod nano, $10 goes directly to the Global Fund. If one million people buy the (PRODUCT)RED version, then $10 million goes directly to the Global Fund. The same basic math applies to all of our other "Partner products" from Gap t-shirts to Hallmark greeting cards to Dell computers to Windows software.

It is one thing to describe our business model. It is quite another to see its impact. I've seen the impact in Rwanda. What (RED) asks everyone to do is consider the (RED) choice when that purchase option presents itself. You can visit our web-site (www.JOINRED.com) to see all of our Partner products. If you buy a (Product)RED-branded product, I can say with certainty that it matters. And that the return on choosing (RED) is invaluable in human terms.


1 UNAIDS, 2004

2 UNAIDS Epidemic Update 2007

3 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic
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