HTLVida Association celebrates 15 years of foundation with the support of Bahiana

On September 30th, the HTLVida Association celebrated its 15th anniversary in a special activity held on Campus BrotasThe theme of the meeting was "Tree," a reference to the first meetings of the association's members, which took place under a mango tree on campus, where the idea for the organization was born. To mark the tribute, students and alumni of the Health Mentors Program performed the song "Tree" by Edson Gomes. The event was also attended by the dean of Bahiana, Professor Dr. Maria Luisa Carvalho Soliani, the nurse at the HTLV Center Aidê Nunes and the researcher Dr. Fernanda Grassi.

Created with the encouragement of professor and researcher Dr. Bernardo Galvão and extensive collaboration from Bahiana, HTLVida has established itself as a benchmark in welcoming, defending human rights, and fighting for public policies aimed at people living with the HTLV virus. During the celebration, Dr. Galvão stated that "the founding of the HTLVida Association was a driving force in transforming many of our achievements into public policy. Without them, we wouldn't have achieved so many victories. We are here today to celebrate life, the struggle, and to continue working together to make ever greater progress." Eleuzina Falcão, coordinator of Communicable Diseases and Injuries at Sesab, reinforced that "today, 80% of the state of Bahia has a line of care for people with HTLV. The association is a powerful dynamo that makes these things happen."

The president of the entity, Márcia Brandão, thanked the partnership of Bahiana over these 15 years: “We are the fruits of this house, it all started here. In this journey, we have always had the Bahiana helping us discover new treatments and research. We are truly grateful for all the support you've given to the HTLVida Association." In addition to promoting health, the institution offers multidisciplinary support to people living with the virus, reinforcing its transformative role in society.