At Hikma, we have a vision to create a healthier world that enriches all of our communities.
Padua, Italy. Lorenzo Ferrone: When I was seven, I was diagnosed with stage 4 Burkitt’s Lymphoma. The doctors told my parents my life expectancy was close to zero.
Madaba, Jordan. Majida Abu Qaddura: Madaba is one of the poorest regions in the Kingdom.
Some families cannot even buy fruit or vegetables because of their extreme poverty.
Birmingham, Alabama. Tony Christon-Walker: When I got my diagnosis, I was 26 years old. I was kind of numb, almost like somebody cut off my breath.
Lorenzo Ferrone: The drug I needed wasn’t covered by our healthcare system, and it was hugely expensive.
Majida Abu Qaddura: Girls from here have very limited access to life opportunities. They’re not used to working, especially in a team.
Those who aren’t educated are unemployed – there are no jobs for them.
Tony Christon-Walker: I could have friends who were perfectly healthy.
Then four months later they were dead. HIV was not the manageable disease that it is now. That doesn't mean that it's gone away, especially in the south.
Lorenzo Ferrone: The pharmaceutical company that produced the drug decided to provide it for free on a compassionate basis until I reached adulthood.
Tony Christon-Walker: Alabama in particular is disproportionately affected with HIV, poverty, stigma, lack of educational attainment, and lack of medical resources. You set up a recipe for people to die.
Lorenzo Ferrone: At eighteen, I thought I no longer had any reason to take the drug, that I had recovered and all my problems were a thing of the past. Five years ago, I noticed that the upper part of my cheek was swelling up. The cancer had come back.
Tony Christon-Walker: People still think HIV is a death sentence, and it's not. If more people had access to medications then we would lower the mortality rate.
Lorenzo Ferrone: We learned that Hikma currently produces the drug in Italy. So my father decided to contact them.
Majida Abu Qaddura: The Healthy Kitchen Project aims to create job opportunities for women who are unemployed. It also aims to promote nutritional awareness and to provide healthy meals for children who study in schools in impoverished areas.
Lorenzo Ferrone: The fact that Hikma provided me with the drug free of charge through a local non-profit organization was absolutely crucial for my survival.
Tony Christon-Walker: Last year, Hikma was about to launch a new generic medication. They called together nine HIV advocates from across the country. It was innovative because it involved the community.
Majida Abu Qaddura: The women who work with us on this project can develop their skills, improve themselves and become financially independent. There is nothing standing in their way.
Tony Christon-Walker: The impact of introducing a generic medication for HIV. Simply put, more help for more people at a lower cost. It means more lives saved.
Hikma’s partnership with leading HIV advocates in the U.S. is helping to put life-saving ARV therapies within reach. Everyday.
Majida Abu Qaddura: I am proud of the team I work with. We are helping our society grow by taking care of its children. This gives us a wonderful feeling.
The Healthy Kitchen Project was launched in Madaba in 2015 by Jordan’s Royal Health Awareness Society and the World Food Programme. Hikma was the first private sponsor.
Today, Majida’s community kitchen employs 50 people producing over 5000 healthy meals a day. And the Project has 11 kitchens across the country.
Lorenzo Ferrone: Thanks to Hikma, I’m very optimistic about the future and what I’ve got ahead of me. Their compassion was revolutionary.
Through Hikma’s non-for-profit partner, Lorenzo will continue to receive the medicine he needs. For life.
