Updated August 2008

In March 2006, the Dr. Laura Louie met with Dr. Godfrey Swai, a Tanzania medical doctor and public health specialist based in Dar es Salaam. Dr. Swai was working to develop an innovative medical clinic combining allopathic (conventional) medicine with complementary and alternative medicines focusing on HIV care.

Dr. Swai has nearly 30 years of experience in the management and control of health and diseases in the Sub Sahara Africa region with particular emphasis on East Africa and Tanzania. Furthermore, he has experienced the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region since its start in 1983 and its evolution into a disaster.

Dr. Swai invited the Laura Louie Hope Projects to join him in this effort by training local nurses in acupuncture for the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients and help establish an acupuncture clinic. Plans for expansion of the program were also discussed. While this opportunity was seriously investigated, Dr. Swai is still in the process of raising funds for his medical clinic; therefore, the Tanzania project is currently on hold.