About Réalta

Mission

The Réalta Story

History

Board of Directors

Staff

Programmes

Funding

Partners

 

Mission

The Réalta Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of persons directly and indirectly affected by poverty related communicable diseases in the resource-limited setting, especially HIV/AIDS.

History

The Réalta Foundation was founded in May 2004 by Drs. Ceppie Merry, Mairín Ryan and Peter Coakley in Dublin, Ireland, to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the poorest communities of the world. All three had previously worked together treating HIV/AIDS in Dublin and had also worked on various HIV related projects in sub-Saharan Africa. They had first hand experience of the incredible advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS over the previous decade which had converted HIV/AIDS from a relentlessly progressive fatal illness to a longterm condition with excellent life-expectancy and quality of life, providing the infected individuals had access to medicines. They were aware however of the challenges patients and doctors face in treating this disease and the expertise and knowledge required by both patient and doctor to provide effective treatment and prevention of further infections.

Having worked in sub-Saharan Africa, in countries such as Uganda, Nigeria, Botswana, South Africa and Milawi they were also aware of the terrible plight faced by the massive numbers of women, children and men on the continent who, with no access to even basic healthcare and struggling to support themselves and their families, died long difficult deaths, often alone and rejected by their own communities and families. Deaths that could have been entirely prevented through access to HIV medicines and basic healthcare. In 2004, in sub-Saharan Africa alone, this was the fate of 25 million people.

Réalta is committed to finding practical, sustainable and culturally appropriate solutions to the challenges faced in bringing HIV treatment and prevention to the desperately poor communities of the world. Réalta's activities include drug research in Africa, training of and continuous support of African healthcare workers in the care and prevention of HIV/AIDS both in Africa and Ireland, strenghening community health systems through infrastructural development and community based healthcare programmes and provision of basic healthcare in schools and orphanages. Réalta has built collaborations with universities and organisations throughout sub-Saharan Africa and further afield, including Europe and America and believes that together we can make a difference to the people of the world who need it most.