THE IMPATIENT DR. LANGE

The incredible story of Joep Lange s life and his unrelenting quest to end the HIV epidemic When Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by pro Russian rebels in July 2014 the world wondered if a cure for HIV had fallen from the sky and disappeared among the burning debris Seated in the plane s business class cabin was Joseph Lange better known as Joep a shrewd Dutch doctor who had revolutionized the world of HIV and AIDS and was working on a cure Dr Lange graduated from medical school in 1981 right as a new plague swept across the globe His story became intertwined with the story of HIV At once a physician scientist AIDS activist and medical diplomat Lange studied ways to battle HIV and prevent its spread from mother to child Fighting the injustices of poverty Lange advocated for better access to health care for the poor and the vulnerable He championed the drug cocktail that finally helped rein in the disease and was a vocal proponent of prophylactic treatment for those most at risk of contracting HIV The Impatient Dr Lange is the story of one man s struggle against a global pandemic and the tragic attack that may have slowed down the search for a cure Seema Yasmin charts the course of the HIV epidemic and Dr Lange s career as a young doctor