Category Archives: Countries

July 27, 2012 · 1:01 pm

Late-breaking EGPAF-Funded Study on the Effects of TB Vaccine on HIV-Exposed, Breastfeeding Infants

By Robert Yule

Today, Dr. Heather Jaspan – a recipient of an EGPAF Pediatric HIV Vaccine Program Grant – released late-breaking results from her study at the International AIDS Conference.

The study investigated whether early administration of the Bacille Calmette-Guerín (BCG) vaccine for tuberculosis could be associated with an increased risk of HIV infection for HIV-exposed, breastfed infants in South Africa.

Dr. Heather Jaspan presenting her late-breaker study results.

Dr. Jaspan presents the results of her study and their implications below:

Bacille Calmette-Guerín (BCG) vaccine is given to infants at birth in high Tuberculosis (TB) burdened areas such as Southern Africa to protect them from severe forms of TB.

BCG given to monkeys causes immune cells to be active and replicate faster. HIV preferably infects cells that are actively replicating and have the HIV receptors CD4 and CCR5 on their surface. People who are frequently exposed to HIV yet remain negative have lower numbers of these HIV target cells in their blood.

We hypothesized that the routine immunization of neonates with BCG contributes to generalized immune activation in HIV-exposed infants, resulting in increased HIV target cells and increased risk for HIV transmission via breastfeeding.

We randomly assigned HIV-exposed and uninfected newborns to BCG vaccination at birth versus at 8 weeks of age. We determined the proportion of HIV target cells (activated CD4+CCR5+ cells).

Babies in the early BCG group had significantly higher HIV target cells in their blood than those in the delayed arm. This difference persisted at 8 weeks, despite immune stimulation from routine immunizations at 6 weeks in all babies.

No other cells were activated and no other markers of inflammation increased, suggesting the effect of BCG is isolated to CD4 T cells. Therefore BCG vaccination may increase the risk of HIV infection for HIV-exposed, breastfed infants.

However, other results not presented today show that infants with higher target cell activation had better responses to tetanus vaccine given at 6 weeks of age. This suggests that, in addition to protection against severe TB, BCG may have other benefits for HIV-exposed infants.

Therefore, the potential risks and benefits of BCG need further evaluation and investigation.

Our results can inform policy for the optimal timing of BCG vaccination for HIV-exposed infants, and have implications for the use of related vaccines – such as live, weakened bacterial vaccines – as potential future HIV vaccine strategies for newborns.

Dr. Heather Jaspan is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town and a Senior Scientist at Seattle BioMedical Research Institute.

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Filed under Advocacy, EGPAF, IAC 2012, Pediatric Treatment, PMTCT, Research, South Africa

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· 10:55 am

[VIDEO] Together We Can End AIDS – Florence on Capitol Hill

On Tuesday, EGPAF Ambassador Florence Ngobeni-Allen was asked to speak at a special breakfast on Capitol Hill hosted by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Congresswomen Kay Granger (R-TX) and Nita Lowey (D-NY).

The bipartisan event featured an audience of leading U.S. policymakers and remarks from a roster of champions in the fight against AIDS, including Sir Elton John, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe, and Florence.

Here is the video of her speech:

Video courtesy of SABC News (http://www.sabc.co.za/news)

Earlier this week, EGPAF Communication Officer Taylor Moore wrote a blog recounting the event.

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Filed under Advocacy, Florence Ngobeni-Allen, South Africa

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· 10:41 am

Cradles Art Exhibit Highlights Needs of Children Orphaned by AIDS

By Samantha Ritter

This week, during the XIX International AIDS Conference, three non-profit organizations have collaborated to draw attention to the plight of orphans and vulnerable children.

This is a group that, despite being at the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic, is often neglected by policymakers and healthcare implementers.

The Cradle Project, hosted at the Washington Studio School and sponsored by the Firelight Foundation and Aid for Africa, displays mostly empty cradles created by artists from across the U.S.

The cradles represent diverse origins and are made of a number of different materials -  from fabrics reminiscent of traditional Nigerian masks to debris from Hurricane Katrina. The colorful cradles are displayed in front of black and white photos of African children, creating a stark contrast to symbolize the lost potential of children orphaned by AIDS.

Of the 18 million children who have become orphans due to the AIDS epidemic, it is estimated that 14.8 million of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. Children infected with and affected by HIV experience life-altering hurdles - including displacement, lack of education, lack of economic and food security, stigma, and discrimination.

The Firelight Foundation, an early supporter of EGPAF’s international programs, has brought The Cradle Project to the nation’s capitol to inspire visitors to action. Providing medical, financial, and psychosocial support to children affected by the epidemic is crucial to create an AIDS-free generation.

The Washington Studio School has extended the showing of The Cradle Project through August 22, and admission is free.

 

Washington Studio School: 2129 S Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008

Exhibit hours:

July 18 to August 22, Monday-Friday 10:00am-4:00pm;

Saturday and Sunday on July 21, 22, 27, and 28 from 11:00am-5:00pm.

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Filed under Advocacy, Art, EGPAF, IAC 2012, Nigeria, OVC

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July 26, 2012 · 5:20 pm

David Binder – Documenting the AIDS Epidemic in the U.S. through Photography and Film

By Jane Coaston

On the NPR Shots blog, reporter Ben de la Cruz highlights the work of photographer David Binder. Binder has been photographing the AIDS epidemic for over 25 years.

His documentary about one woman’s struggle with AIDS and the effects on her family, Calling My Children, was screened Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol. 

Gail Farrow, photographed by David Binder

It tells the story of Gail Farrow, a mother of four living with HIV in the late 80s. Like Elizabeth Glaser, she contracted HIV through a blood transfusion, and forced America to confront the reality that AIDS was a problem that affects us all.

Read more about the documentary and watch a video about Binder here.

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Filed under Advocacy, Art, Elizabeth Glaser, Photography, U.S., Video

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· 4:07 pm

mHealth in HIV/AIDS Programs: Exploring its Impact

By Michelle Betton

mHealth (mobile health technology) continues to be a big theme at this year’s International AIDS Conference. Wednesday morning, representatives from the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Cell Life, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, and the mHealth Alliance discussed various mobile technology interventions in HIV and AIDS programs.

EGPAF’s Dr. Apolinaire Tiam from Lesotho

mHealth is currently being used for many different interventions, including education and awareness, supply chain management, training for health workers, and monitoring and evaluation. The work of the panel participants focused on HIV/AIDS interventions in South Africa, Kenya, and Lesotho.

Dr. Peter Benjamin of Cell Life described the work of his organization, which uses technology to improve health and to meet social challenges. Cell Life works in 10 countries in Africa, primarily in South Africa, creating open source eHealth (electronic health) technology. Their products are used in social and behavior change communications, health systems strengthening, and policy amongst other topics.

Caricia Catalani of InSTEDD presented a literature review that delved into the question of whether or not evidence exists proving that mHealth is effective. From her findings (based on 62 articles focused on HIV/AIDS program studies), it remains unclear whether or not mHealth is effective overall in combating HIV/AIDS barriers. Several interventions have been quite effective, such as those focused on youth, community health workers, appointment and adherence reminders, and TB care, while others have not shown conclusive evidence of effectiveness. Catalani stressed that increasing local and end user development of mHealth technologies would likely increase the usefulness and effectiveness of these interventions.

Following on Caricia’s presentation, Evelyn Kibuchi of the Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium (KANCO) described how a mapping system of facilities and clinics across regions makes facilitation and referral of services easier. Consortium member organizations enter their location and contact information into a database that then shows which services are provided in a given region, and exactly where. This makes it easier for clinics to refer clients if necessary, and helps clients facilitate transportation. In future, KANCO intends to begin sending SMS messages with information on services locally available. There is also the possibility of clients finding and receiving home-based care based on organizations in their vicinity.

EGPAF’s own Dr. Appolinaire Tiam discussed the impact of 3G technology and laptops in Lesotho. Because of Lesotho’s mountainous landscape, HIV test results can take up to 12 weeks to return to families. The Foundation’s Lesotho program acquired laptops with 3G technology for district clinical coordinators, allowing the program to receive digital lab results and send them to families in four weeks instead of 12. Tiam noted that, before the 3G-capable laptops, 55 percent of children who waited for more than two months for HIV test results died before receiving then. With 3G technology in clinics, child deaths have decreased to 5 percent.

While evidence is still inconclusive and barriers still exist to optimal effectiveness of mHealth interventions, there is some evidence that mHealth can have a considerable impact on the health of those affected by HIV/AIDS.

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Filed under EGPAF, Kenya, Lesotho, mHealth, South Africa

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· 12:54 pm

Canadian International Development Agency and EGPAF Partner to Increase Uptake of MCH Services

By Robert Yule

This week the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and EGPAF announced a new partnership to promote increased use of services for maternal and child health (MCH) and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT).

On Monday, EGPAF gave a presentation at the IAC’s Canada Booth introducing our work to support national PMTCT programs, and the types of interventions that will be used through the ACCLAIM project with CIDA.

Read below for a joint press release from CIDA and EGPAF about this partnership:  

 

New ACCLAIM Program Will Help Expand MCH/PMTCT Services in Swaziland, Uganda, and Zimbabwe

Washington, D.C. – At the XIX International AIDS Conference, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) today announced a new partnership to improve progress toward elimination of pediatric HIV/AIDS. The project, Advancing Community-Level Action for Improving MCH/PMTCT (ACCLAIM), seeks to increase demand and retention in maternal and child health and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MCH/PMTCT) services. The project is supported by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), which has pledged CAD $10 million over a four-year period to fund the partnership.

The ACCLAIM Project will focus on changing community norms and attitudes about key health behaviors related to HIV, maternal and child health, and gender through targeted community-based interventions. The project will also use research to assess the behavioral and operational outcomes of selected community-based interventions and their relative effectiveness.

The program will help expand services in Swaziland, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, and will focus on three key interventions:

  • Engagement of Community Leaders: Training and capacity-building to generate increased demand for MCH/PMTCT services through development of Community Action Plans
  • Community Days: Semi-annual days of information, communication, and activities to generate awareness
  • Peer Support Groups: Men’s groups and MCH classes to increase and improve MCH/PMTCT behaviors.

CIDA’s contribution is part of the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative, a collaboration with other Canadian federal departments and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As work towards the development of a safe, effective, affordable, and globally-accessible vaccine continues, HIV prevention efforts must also continue, and CIDA is focusing efforts on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

This work will emphasize the need to scale up prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs and reach more HIV-positive pregnant women with simple and highly-effective – yet underutilized – interventions. It will also support operations research to analyze and overcome existing barriers to delivering prevention of mother-to-child transmission services.

“The Canadian International Development Agency has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving the welfare of women, children, and communities affected by HIV and AIDS,” said Charles Lyons, President and CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. “We are proud to work with CIDA on this partnership, which will ensure that more mothers and children have access to essential prevention of mother-to-child transmission services by strengthening community support for those living with HIV and AIDS.”

“Canada is taking action that is saving the lives of women and their children,” stated Minister of International Cooperation, Julian Fantino. “Through our partnership with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, we are working to protect women and children from HIV and prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to their infants.”

While virtual elimination of pediatric HIV/AIDS has been achieved in high-income countries like the United States and Canada, much more needs to be done to protect women and children from HIV in the developing world. Each day, 900 children are needlessly infected with HIV, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. With the proper medicines and PMTCT services, the risk that a mother with HIV will transmit the virus to her baby can be reduced to virtually zero.

It is critical to link vital facility-based PMTCT services with communities, many of which are rural and far from even the closest clinics. The EGPAF/CIDA partnership will address the need for community-level engagement and support for women, children, and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

The global impacts from this project will be:

  • An evidence base for packaged interventions to improve demand, access, retention, and participation in PMTCT programs at the community level;
  • Documentation of challenges and lessons learned from community-focused PMTCT-MCH interventions;
  • The opportunity to implement community interventions across different contexts, with greater involvement of men in PMTCT programs; and
  • The opportunity to contribute to literature on the effects of capacity building of local leaders on HIV/PMTCT outcomes.

Bringing interventions to communities will help ensure uptake and retention in life-saving PMTCT and MCH services, and the healthy survival of mothers, children, and families.

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About The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF):

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) is a global leader in the fight against pediatric HIV and AIDS, and has reached more than 14 million women with services to prevent transmission of HIV to their babies. The Foundation currently works in more than 5,400 sites and in 15 countries to implement prevention, care, and treatment services; to further advance innovative research; and to execute global advocacy activities in order to bring dramatic change to the lives of millions of women, children, and families worldwide. For more information, visit www.pedaids.org and www.amothersfight.org.

About the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA):

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is Canada’s lead agency for development assistance. CIDA’s aim is to manage Canada’s support and resources effectively and accountably to achieve meaningful, sustainable results. It also engages in policy development in Canada and internationally, enabling Canada’s effort to realize its development objectives.

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Filed under EGPAF, IAC 2012, Implementation, MCH, Pediatric Treatment, PMTCT, Public-Private Partnerships, Research, Swaziland, Uganda, Zimbabwe

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July 25, 2012 · 3:58 pm

EGPAF Talks PMTCT on Voice of America

By Jane Coaston

On Monday, EGPAF Vice President of Program Innovation and Policy Dr. RJ Simonds and EGPAF Ambassador Florence Ngobeni-Allen joined Voice of America’s Linord Moudou to talk about the International AIDS Conference and the state of the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Simonds discussed the health challenges faced by children living with HIV and the importance of prevention of mother-to-child-transmission (PMTCT). Florence shared her story of testing positive for HIV, losing a child to the disease, and becoming an HIV counselor to help other mothers and children in her native South Africa.

Watch the video: 

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Filed under Advocacy, EGPAF, Florence Ngobeni-Allen, IAC 2012, PMTCT, South Africa

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· 3:55 pm

Elizabeth Glaser Remembered at IAC

By Jane Coaston

At EGPAF’s offices in Washington, D.C., memories of Elizabeth Glaser are everywhere you look.

We’ve been gratified this week to see that Elizabeth and her impact on HIV and mothers and children has also been memorialized several times at the International AIDS Conference.

On Wednesday, Dr. Joseph Essombo, Country Director for EGPAF in Cote d’Ivoire, paid tribute to Elizabeth during his remarks at the Opening Plenary.  

“Sometimes in life, there is that moment when it’s possible to make a change for the better. This is one of those moments,” he said.

“This statement is not from me. This statement is from Elizabeth Glaser, 20 years ago addressing the Democratic Convention in the U.S. It was true 20 years ago, but it’s so real and so true today.”

You can watch the rest of Joseph’s remarks here.

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Filed under Advocacy, Cote d'Ivoire, EGPAF, Elizabeth Glaser

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· 11:48 am

Lunch with EGPAF and Parliamentarians to Discuss Pediatric AIDS

By Katie Coester

The Foundation hosted a luncheon on Tuesday with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, inviting Members of Parliament from all over the globe to discuss the elimination of pediatric AIDS.

MPs from countries as diverse as Japan and Saudi Arabia, to high HIV burden countries like Mozambique and Zimbabwe, joined us for a lively discussion about elimination as well as what they are doing in their own countries to work on HIV/AIDS issues through the parliament.

Japanese MP Ryuuhei Kawada

MP from Japan Ryuuhei Kawada shared his incredibly personal story of living with HIV, the stigma he has faced because of it, and the motivation it gives him to work on these issues.

Additionally, Lediana Mafuru Mng’ong’o, an MP from Tanzania, spoke passionately about the Tanzanian Parliamentary AIDS Coalition (TAPAC).

She explained how it started small with only two members, but has grown to a powerhouse coalition that members are clamoring to join. TAPAC has helped to gain political will for HIV/AIDS issues in Tanzania over the past 10 years, which has led to a permanent parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS.

The Foundation looks forward to continuing  work with MPs from all over the globe, as well as members of Congress in the U.S., toward the elimination of pediatric AIDS.

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Filed under Advocacy, EGPAF, IAC 2012, Mozambique, Public Policy, Stigma, Tanzania, Zimbabwe

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July 24, 2012 · 3:00 pm

HIV and Family Planning Needs Are Linked, and Demand an Integrated Approach

By Chip Lyons, EGPAF President and CEO, and Suzanne Ehlers, Population Action International (PAI) President and CEO

Originally published on Science Speaks: HIV & TB News

With the conclusion of the international London Summit on Family Planning earlier this month, the global health community has shifted its focus to the International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C.

It is exciting to see tangible global action around these health issues, and each warrants dedicated focus with political and financial commitments. But having these two separate conferences – on two different continents within two weeks of one another – obscures an important reality: family planning and HIV are inextricably linked, especially for HIV-positive women who are pregnant or may become pregnant.

Approximately 17 million women worldwide are currently living with HIV, with more than a million new infections in women of reproductive age each year. And while addressing unmet family planning needs is essential for all women, family planning services are particularly critical for HIV-positive women who want to postpone pregnancy due to HIV-related illness, or want to access medicines and services that will allow them to give birth to an HIV-negative child.

While conferences like the ones being held in London and Washington help marshal political will and focus public attention on family planning and HIV as important global health issues, we must also ask the question: couldn’t we be accomplishing more with an integrated approach?

Many organizations like ours specialize in a particular public health area, but the women we serve have diverse needs. For example, Esnart, a 32-year-old woman in Zambia, must take a day off of work each month to access HIV treatment. She leaves before dawn traveling two hours on two different buses, just to line up to receive her medication. If she needs any other health services, such as family planning, she must join another line.

As she says, “It is not like it is integrated where you access it at the same point…When you’re done with one service, then you move on to another [line]. People get there as early as four in the morning just to queue up.”

This is just one example on the ground of how women’s health services can be divided, to the detriment of the women who need them. These divisions are often present all the way up to health policy planning and funding decisions. By bridging this artificial divide between HIV and family planning, we have an opportunity to accelerate progress on both fronts by delivering life-saving services together, and learning from each others’ stumbles and successes.

In her speech to the delegates at AIDS 2012 yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “Women want to protect themselves from HIV and they want access to adequate health care. And we need to answer their call.”

We must not repeat the mistakes of the past by discussing women’s health in a fragmented way. Global health organizations should be committed to ensuring that these issues are discussed and acted upon in a more integrated manner. This means looking for opportunities at all levels to effectively deliver comprehensive care to women and their families, especially those affected by HIV/AIDS.

Although it often occurs outside the public spotlight, the real promise of global meetings like the Family Planning Summit and International AIDS Conference is fulfilled after people leave the conference halls and return to their countries to act on the priorities set forth – one hopes helping women like Esnart access these services more efficiently.

Both the science and the experience of women all over the world show that reproductive health and HIV are interrelated. It is our hope that those leaving London and Washington, D.C. this July can join forces to support the programs, policies, and funding needed to make meaningful progress on both of these issues.

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Filed under Advocacy, Chip Lyons, EGPAF, IAC 2012, PMTCT, Zambia

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