It is estimated that 1 out of every 4 people in the African country of Zimbabwe is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Only 2% of Zimbabwean AIDS patients have access to the life-saving antiretroviral treatments for HIV/AIDS, and more than 10% of all such treatment that is provided in this country of about 12 million people is provided through the research programs at the University of Zimbabwe Medical School Clinical Research Center.
Doctors from the University of Colorado and University of California at San Diego and San Francisco collaborate with investigators at the University of Zimbabwe in on-going research to improve the care and treatment of people with AIDS in Zimbabwe. Over the past several years, this collaboration has resulted in funding from a number of organizations, including the National Institute of Health and pharmaceutical companies, among others, to conduct research studies to find the most effective combination of antiretroviral drugs to treat Zimbabwean AIDS patients. However, once patients in the study complete their role, they must purchase the drugs on their own. Most cannot afford to purchase the drugs to continue treatment.
The purpose of the ZATA Project is to provide antiretroviral drugs and medical care to HIV/AIDS patients once they have completed their role in the medical research studies by closely working with the University of Zimbabwe medical faculty to purchase the most cost-effective therapies that will help the most people.
The ZATA Project (Zimbabwe AIDS Treatment Assistance) Project is a 501©3 non-profit organization established in Denver Colorado in cooperation with University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (UCHSC) AIDS experts.