Health

SAGA Health Access Programme (SHAPE)

by Sabah AIDS Awareness Group Association
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MYR 79.88

Raised of MYR 50,000.00 target.

2

0%

Over 3 Years

Donors

Funded

Left

THE PROBLEM

ACCESS TO TREATMENT

Under circumstances unique to Sabah, HIV patients from rural districts were often forced to take long expensive trip for medical review at major hospitals in town – which many can’t afford due to poverty. As a result, some end up defaulting their treatment and eventually succumb to the disease.

To become this obstacle, we introduced the SAGA Health Access Programme (SHAPE).

THE SOLUTION

SHAPE provides financial assistance to underprivileged patients from Sabah’s rural areas who have to travel great distances from their homes to seek medical support for critical ailments at government hospitals and clinics at major town centre in Sabah.

The programme awards cash incentive to qualified beneficiaries for every hospital appointment that they attend. The incentive is designed to to cover the high cost of travelling and other logistic expenses related to their hospital trip. The project beneficiaries must be Malaysian citizens from low household income (earning less than RM2,000/ month).

Since it was launched in late 2018, SHAPE has evolved to not only support HIV patients but also patients with other chronic illness who also faces similar challenges to treatment accessibility.

SHAPE is run partnership with the Sabah Department of General Welfare, the Sabah States Health Department and local government hospitals and health clinics in Sandakan, Tawau, Semporna, Lahad Datu and Kunak. At present, we are focusing on expanding SHAPE within the East Coast Region of Sabah.

THE IMPACT

For HIV patients, compliance to treatment will results in viral suppression. This in return, will

  1. Protect them from being infected by opportunistic infection and prevent them from regressing to full-blown AIDS symptom.
  2. Stop the transmission of HIV in rural community in Sabah, because an HIV+ that successfully supressed their viral load to undetectable level will not transmit the virus to other person – even through sexual transmission to their partners. This will help us to achieve the goal of ending the AIDS epidemic.

For patients with other chronic disease, continuous access to treatment will definitely improve their health outcome, and quickly return them to normalcy and enabling them to become productive member of the society.

Goal Breakdown

Goal 1 - Travel subsidies for patients from rural Sabah. Amount Needed: MYR45,000.00

Goal 2 - Ground coordinators. Amount Needed: MYR5,000.00

Goal 3 - . Amount Needed: MYR

Donate today and join us in our life-saving mission in Sabah

MYR 79.88

Raised of MYR 50,000.00 target.

2

0%

-

Donors

Funded

Left

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Donors

Amount Donated

MYR 53.25

25/06/2020
HAIRI BIN SULIMAT
Amount Donated

MYR 26.63

25/06/2020
Azahemy Abdullah

About the Organization/Project behind this Campaign

Sabah AIDS Awareness Group Association

Sabah AIDS Awareness Group Association (SAGA), formerly Sandakan AIDS Support Group Association (Registry of Societies Malaysia registration no. PPM-001-12-12092008), was established in 2008 as the non-governmental organisation leading the community-based HIV/AIDS response in Sabah in partnership with the Ministry of Health Malaysia and Malaysian AIDS Council. It was founded by Dr. Zaiton Binti Yahaya, a Family Medicine Specialist at Klinik Kesihatan Sandakan.

SAGA provides health services related to HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections to people living with HIV and key affected populations in Sandakan. In response to the rise in sexual transmission of HIV, it has also expanded its scope of services to cover other vulnerable populations such as women, youths and adolescents. In recent time, SAGA has also intensified its effort to improve access to treatment for patients from the economically vulnerable group.

OBJECTIVES OF SAGA

  1. To promote healthy lifestyle in the local community
  2. To nurture the spirit of volunteerism and increased public involvements in community works.
  3. To serve as a platform for key population to access HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services
  4. To provide information and counselling on HIV/AIDS and related issues to people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.
  5. To reach out to young people and their families with important information about HIV/AIDS and sexual reproductive health, particularly to adolescent and vulnerable youth.