In \r\nSeptember 2016, Antonio went back home one afternoon without the anti-allergy \r\nhis wife needed. After walking long hours through empty pharmacies in San \r\nFernando, capital of the state of Apure (southwest plains), one thing was clear \r\nto him: both had to leave the country.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n
The \r\nstress caused by the permanent shortage of food and medicines was undermining \r\ntheir defenses and their situation worsened because they both were HIV patients. \r\nIt was of paramount importance that they resumed their treatment, but in a \r\ncountry running short of antiretrovirals and common pills to treat a simple flu \r\nor an infection, waiting was as harmful as the disease itself. Little did they \r\nknow back then that their struggle to stay alive would take them a long way \r\naround three countries of South America to receive medical attention and to get \r\nthe vital drugs to control the AIDS virus. Peru \r\nturned out to be the final destination.<\/p>\n\n\r\n\n
Antonio \r\nand Pamela have lived in Lima with their young daughter for nine months. They \r\nsettled in a rented room north of the Peruvian capital because this was the only \r\ncountry where they could find employment to meet their basic expenses. \"We \r\nneeded to resume our therapies, but above all, we needed peace of mind. That \r\nhelped a lot to reduce our viral load\", says Antonio, a man of medium height and \r\nslow gestures, in a civil organization located in Lima that monitors the supply \r\nof antiretrovirals.<\/p>\n\n
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