Category Archives: Pediatric Treatment

July 27, 2012 · 4:10 pm

Statement from EGPAF and m2m on WHO’s Option B+ Approach to Protect the Health of HIV-Positive Mothers and Their Babies

WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 27, 2012 – At the XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C., there has been growing global momentum around optimal approaches to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child and to keep HIV-positive mothers alive and healthy.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently encouraged countries to consider accelerating the adoption of one of two options for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) that both include added benefits for and emphasis on the health of mothers. Option B includes the use of triple-drug therapy for the mother during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and Option B+ continues that drug regimen for the mother’s lifetime.

The WHO’s three options – Options A, B, and B+ – all afford similar protection against mother-to-child transmission of HIV, but Option B+ has the greatest potential for health benefits for infected women, and can confer protection against transmission of HIV to an uninfected partner.

There is growing consensus that Option B+ represents an evolving best standard for protecting both mother and child from the effects of HIV. The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) and mothers2mothers (m2m) support the development and implementation of revised WHO technical and operational guidelines, and will assist the implementation of whichever option is chosen by national governments.

Adoption of Option B+ will require careful study of new and existing operational issues. EGPAF is prepared to use its considerable country presence, technical capacity, and research ability to investigate the operational issues that need to be addressed and understood for optimal implementation of this regimen. Issues that should be studied through operations research include acceptability, adherence, drug resistance, retention, safety, and funding. EGPAF has been an instrumental partner in assisting the WHO and individual countries to implement past guidelines, and will continue to assist as new guidelines are updated.

m2m will support country efforts to implement Option B+ by using its simple and effective Mentor Mother model to promote enrollment and retention in care. Because m2m’s Mentor Mothers provide additional human resources – educating and supporting mothers as they learn to understand, accept, and adhere to lifelong treatment regimens – they can further ease the pressure this new protocol might cause already strained health systems. m2m is prepared to use its trusted presence in communities to ensure that all women, especially those not currently accessing care, are able to benefit from Option B+.

As organizations working to implement the Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping their Mothers Alive, we are committed to overcoming any obstacle that prevents us from reaching our goal of ending HIV/AIDS in children and mothers.

There are still large numbers of HIV-positive, pregnant women who cannot access any effective PMTCT services, and so we must ensure that countries are able to accelerate efforts toward universal coverage.

We must also adequately address implementation barriers, such as weak health systems – especially in more rural settings – lack of human resources for health, and a need for significant education and community-based support to promote adherence to lifetime therapy and long-term retention in the health system.

We look forward to supporting countries to overcome these issues as they work toward achieving an AIDS-free generation.

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 About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF):  The Foundation is a global leader in the fight against pediatric HIV/AIDS, reaching more than 14 million women with services to prevent transmission of HIV to their babies. It currently works at more than 5,400 sites and in 15 countries to implement prevention, care, and treatment services; to 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. For live updates and resources from EGPAF at the XIX International AIDS Conference, visit www.EGPAF-IAS.org, and follow us @EGPAF.

About mothers2mothers (m2m):  mothers2mothers (m2m) is eliminating transmission of HIV from mothers to babies and sustaining the health of women and children with its proven Mentor Mother model. Since its inception, m2m has reached more than one million mothers in nine countries. Founded in Cape Town in 2001, m2m is a partner in the United Nations’ Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping their Mothers Alive. Learn more at m2m.org or follow mothers2mothers @m2mtweets.

Contacts:

Michelle Milford Morse, mothers2mothers; Phone: 323-969-0445; us@m2m.org

Robert Yule, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation; Mobile: 202-390-9540; ryule@pedaids.org

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Filed under Community, EGPAF, Global Plan, IAC 2012, Implementation, Pediatric Treatment, PMTCT, Research

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· 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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July 26, 2012 · 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 · 5:50 pm

Getting to Six Million: Lessons from the Track 1.0 PEPFAR Treatment Partners

By Robert Yule

Today’s session brought together Track 1.o partners to discuss the progress and accomplishments that HIV programmers have made as part of this eight-year long PEPFAR treatment program.

The Track 1.0 treatment mechanism was the largest single treatment program awarded by PEPFAR, and was administered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Global AIDS Program and the HIV/AIDS Bureau at the Health Resources and Services Administration.

EGPAF’s Dr. Anja Giphart presents on the results of Project HEART.

EGPAF served as a Track 1.0 partner, along with AIDSRelief (Catholic Relief Services Consortium), the Harvard School of Public Health, and the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

The session was led by Deborah Birx, Director of the CDC’s Center for Global Health’s Division of Global HIV/AIDS and John Idoko, Director of Nigeria’s National Agency for the Control of AIDS.

Since 2004, under the Track 1.0 mechanism, partners have initiated more than 1.4 million patients on treatment in sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean.

Other accomplishments included contributing to national treatment guidelines, improving diagnostic/laboratory networks to better enroll those found HIV-positive on treatment, strengthening data collection tools and reporting systems (like ICAP’s Unified Reporting System), and building local capacity and transitioning to ensure sustainability of support programs.

Anja Giphart presented on EGPAF’s Project HEART - Help Expand Antiretroviral Therapy to children and families. She discussed how over the past eight years, EGPAF has managed to reach 270,000 HIV-positive women and avert nearly 62,000 pediatric infections in the five Project HEART countries.

Giphart emphasized EGPAF’s work with local partners, and country-specific capacity building. Project HEART trained 7,000 doctors, 11,700 nurses, and 6,900 other health care workers in all 5 countries to support PMTCT and pediatric care and treatment.

She also highlighted our work toward sustainability of programming through transitioning to local NGOs and affiliates in our Project HEART-supported countries.

To learn more about EGPAF’s transition model, click here.

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Filed under Pediatric Treatment, PEPFAR, PMTCT, Track 1.0

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July 23, 2012 · 3:18 pm

“Eliminating pediatric AIDS and keeping mothers alive from an implementation perspective” – Satellite Session on best practices, programmatic barriers and bottlenecks in the field

By Alex Ekblom

On Sunday, EGPAF, mothers2mothers (M2M) and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) hosted a satellite entitled “Eliminating pediatric AIDS and keeping mothers alive from an implementation perspective – best practices, programmatic barriers and bottlenecks in the field.” This was a four-part/panel series of presentations moderated by John Donnelly, a journalist from GlobalPost.

EGPAF Swaziland’s Caspian Chouraya

The first part had to do with country-level approaches around building capacity of HIV service implementers, which highlighted Kenya’s mentor mothers approach (where HIV-positive mothers are trained to coordinate access to and retention in care among other HIV-positive mothers), EGPAF-Zimbabwe’s experiences in reducing costs of all-level health care worker training by reduction in time of training and facilitators (saving $185.00 per participant), and SAATHI’s experience in engaging the private sector to increase local PMTCT capacity (including collaboration of 17 NGOs to increase private site coverage, which has reached 1.2 million women with PMTCT care).

The second panel focused on supporting continuity of care and featured m2m’s work on mother mentors in retaining women through use of smartphones and SMS reminders, and NASCOPs implementation of a courier system to shorten turnaround time for early infant diagnosis of HIV.

The next panel was centered around how to create demand to increase uptake of PMTCT. Examples included the use of m2m mentor mothers, who increase quality of care to clients by relieving health worker burden/task shifting, EGPAF-Zambia’s integration of syphilis and HIV testing (through innovations in rapid testing) and the use of 8 steps to roll out effective integration, and EGPAF-Lesotho’s implementation of integrated health services and the use of Family Health Days, or mobile health services which offer a variety of testing and treatment options for HIV, opportunistic infections.

EGPAF Zambia’s Susan Strasser

The final panel focused on data use and highlighted m2m’s “let’s SOAR” initiative, which included a quarterly data review component, where site coordinators could review daily recorded data and assess areas for needed improvement, EGPAF-Swaziland’s data collection and review mentorship activities, EGPAF-Rwanda’s implementation of an excel macro tools to issue feedback to supported facilities through reports of facility and district data (from which facilities could see where improvements were needed), and EGPAF-Tanzania’s experience implementing quality improvement initiatives to strengthen pediatric care.

Delegates brought interesting questions into the discussion. One of which was how can we better prioritize the “keeping their mothers alive” portion of the global plan. It’s an important point for upcoming work on elimination of MTCT.

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Filed under EGPAF, Global Plan, Implementation, India, Kenya, Lesotho, MCH, mHealth, Pediatric Treatment, PEPFAR, PMTCT, Rwanda, Swaziland, Syphilis, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

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· 1:20 pm

“Together We Can” – EGPAF Zimbabwe Satellite Session on Eliminating New Pediatric HIV Infections through Public-Private Partnerships

By Alex Ekblom

On Sunday, the Zimbabwe team hosted their satellite, “Together We Can: Achieving Virtual Elimination of New Pediatric HIV Infections in Zimbabwe by 2015 Through Strategic Public-Private Partnerships”, which featured introductory remarks from Chip Lyons, and presentations from Nick Hellman, Agnes Mahomva, Auxilia Muchedzi, Batsi Chikwinya, Caroline Zinyemba, Angela Mushavi, Theresa Ndoro of OPHID and Peter McDermott, Managing Director of CIFF.

The satellite focused on Zimbabwe’s pediatric HIV context (151,000 children are living with HIV in Zimbabwe), engagement in the national pediatric HIV elimination agenda in Zimbabwe, and key innovations that will be rolled out to achieve this goal.

Angela presented on national strategies, including implementation of a results-based management system,  integration of health services, implementation of a multi-disciplinary approach, supportive engagement with people living with HIV, and how to strengthen human resource capacity, supply chain management, and lab capacity. Angela underscored the need for community involvement to achieve elimination.

Agnes presented on the recent rapid coverage expansion of PMTCT services  (especially in the accelerated coverage of more efficacious drug regimens) through a variety of approaches, including use of district focal persons, implementation of point-of-care CD4 testing, and mass communications on PMTCT. She indicated that meaningful partnerships with other NGOs and government agencies are instrumental in achievement of this national goal.

Batsi discussed implementation of the district focal person and how EGPAF trained 30 nurses to support districts to roll out increased coverage of PMTCT.

Auxilia presented on the national roll-out of 50 point-of-care CD4 machines, which (based on a quasi-experimental study of the intervention) have effectively increased testing of HIV and enrollment in care.

Carol focused her presentation on a national communications strategy deployed by EGPAF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare in Zimbabwe, which has included a training of 30 journalists on PMTCT, and newspaper and radio announcements on the importance of engagement in PMTCT.

Peter McDermott presented on a donor perspective focused on strengthened cost/data analyses. He indicated that what we should aim to not just change policy and practice in one geographic location for the better, but to build a body of knowledge around good HIV programming for global policy and practice change. He highlighted what it will take to eliminate pediatric HIV, which includes strengthened HR, M&E, task-shifting, record-keeping, and addressing  gaps  in the PMTCT cascade.

Nick discussed EGPAF strategies in achieving virtual elimination of pediatric HIV and highlighted challenges. The discussion portion of this satellite brought about interesting remarks, including how stigma is being addressed, how adolescents are being approached, what will happen with district focal persons after 2015, first ANC attendance and how it has been affected by the communications strategies, and issues around loss to follow-up.

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Filed under Advocacy, Countries, EGPAF, Global Plan, IAC 2012, Implementation, Pediatric Treatment, PMTCT, Public-Private Partnerships, Zimbabwe

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· 12:18 pm

Growing Up With HIV

By Jane Coaston

Children and adolescents living with HIV face unique challenges and questions, and they are often ignored in the discussions surrounding HIV/AIDS. At EGPAF, we’ve focused on the needs of children and young adults living with HIV for over twenty years. And we’re excited to see more attention paid to this key group.

Today on WAMU - American University Radio – reporter Kavitha Cardoza reported the first of a three-part story on youth living with HIV. On this morning’s broadcast, Cardoza brought listeners the stories of two young people living with HIV, Kendra and Luke (both names were changed to protect their privacy.)

Kendra was born HIV-positive, and learned of her status from a doctor when she was 13 years old.  Now 20, Kendra says that being HIV-positive has affected every facet of her life. ”I have a younger sibling and an older sibling who are perfectly normal,” she says. “I’m not saying I’m not normal, I’m saying I have to wake up and think of this. Every day.” She feels isolated from her peers, most of whom do not know about her HIV status. She says that she feels most comfortable at her hospital, where she can be free to discuss her status without worrying about the stigma.

Luke learned of his positive HIV status when he donated blood at the age of 16. He told Cardoza that he knew about HIV/AIDS, but he never thought that he could be infected. ”I was young,” Luke says. “That’s everyone’s thought. As kids, you think nothing’s going to happen. Kids are just so ignorant.” Luke has not told his family about his status, and has stopped planning for his future.  ”I’m not thinking of money, I’m not thinking of jobs, I’m just trying to make myself happy,” he says.

As we enter the International AIDS Conferences, the stories of young people like Kendra and Luke are vital to helping us understand the needs of youth living with HIV. Thank you to WAMU to bringing much-needed attention to the lives of young people living with HIV.

Today at IAC, we’ll be presenting a session on adolescent HIV: “Addressing the Psychosocial Support Needs of Transitioning Adolescents Living with HIV since Childhood: A Global Perspective” at 2:30 PM. There will be an additional session tomorrow at 11:00 AM in the Global Village.

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Filed under Advocacy, IAC 2012, Pediatric Treatment, U.S.

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July 22, 2012 · 10:34 pm

Statement on the Importance of Community-Based Organizations in Pediatric HIV/AIDS Fight

By Robert Yule

Following its two-day symposium before IAC, the Coalition for Children Affected by AIDS – of which EGPAF is a member – issued a statement  about the importance of  community organizations in the fight against pediatric HIV and AIDS:

Symposium Calls for Community-Based Organizations to Have Greater Role in Efforts to
Eliminate New Pediatric HIV Infections

Washington, D.C. – Ahead of the XIX International AIDS Conference, 450 delegates from 57 countries participated in a symposium to discuss how community-based programs are central to international efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT).

The symposium, “Children with HIV: Closing the Gap – Ending Vertical Transmission through Community Action,” brought together researchers, international NGOs, community organizations, and affected populations to examine how to better connect community organizations and medical service providers in ending pediatric HIV and AIDS.

While the global HIV community has largely focused on the medical needs of HIV-positive children, discussion at the symposium focused on how community-based engagement extends the reach of clinic-based services, addresses the needs of children affected by HIV regardless of their individual HIV status, and ultimately improves the health and well-being of entire families.

“Even if a child is born free of HIV infection, that child is not free of a life affected by HIV – which makes the care and support agenda for children more important now than ever,” said Kate Iorpenda, Chair of the Coalition for Children Affected by AIDS. “We have seen a lot of progress in ending pediatric HIV, but we won’t reach our goals unless communities are involved, and unless we pay attention to the most vulnerable families.”

The meeting also included the launch of a new supplement in the Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS) focused specifically on how community action is needed to meet the ambitious targets laid out in the Global Plan Towards the Elimination of New HIV Infections Among Children by 2015 and Keeping their Mothers Alive.

“The Global Plan to eliminate new pediatric HIV infections is changing how we think about the pediatric HIV epidemic,” said Professor Linda Richter, Distinguished Research Fellow at Human Sciences Research Council in South Africa. “We have long known that community action is essential to getting services to children affected by the disease, but the Global Plan is the first time the international community has explicitly stated that funding community organizations is an essential part of getting to the end of AIDS in the pediatric population.”

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About the Coalition for Children Affected by AIDS: The Coalition for Children Affected by AIDS believes that children need to be made a higher priority in the international response to HIV and AIDS. The Coalition brings funders and technical experts together to advocate for the best policy, research, and programs for children because children are a vulnerable population that has too often been overlooked. For more information, visit www.ccaba.org.

Media Contact:
Professor Linda Richter
+27 (82) 412 2589
lrichter@hsrc.ac.za

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Filed under Advocacy, Community, Pediatric Treatment, PMTCT

July 21, 2012 · 5:18 pm

New Public-Private Partnership for Pediatric HIV/AIDS Treatment

By Jane Coaston

Since our foundation began, our focus has been on the needs of infants and children living with HIV/AIDS. Currently 3.4 million children worldwide are living with HIV. Without early testing and immediate treatment, half of these children won’t survive to their second birthday.

Despite this urgent need, only 28% of children are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) – and there are not enough treatment options that are safe and effective for children, or easy for them to take.

On Friday, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a non-profit research and development organization, announced a new collaboration with Indian drug manufacturer Cipla to create a 4-in-1 pediatric antiretroviral therapy for infants and toddlers living with HIV/AIDS.

Current HIV medication options for small children are often not appropriate for certain conditions. Some are not intended for infants with high levels of the HIV virus in their bloodstreams, others are too expensive and too difficult to use effectively.

This collaboration between DNDi and Cipla represents not only a breakthrough in drug development, but also a step forward for pharmaceutical research into pediatric HIV treatments.

As Elizabeth Glaser herself noted, children living with HIV are often forgotten during the research process - but ending pediatric AIDS and keeping children alive and healthy requires effective medications.

As AIDS 2012 opens, we look forward to a continued focus on the treatment needs of children living with HIV.

For more information on this important announcement, click here. And for more on the Foundation’s research efforts, click here.

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Filed under Elizabeth Glaser, India, Pediatric Treatment, Research

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July 20, 2012 · 5:00 pm

A Focus on Children before AIDS 2012 Begins

By Robert Yule

In recent years, before International AIDS Society (IAS) conferences even begin, there are two events that place a special focus on the effects of HIV/AIDS on children:

The symposium, Children and HIV: Closing the Gap – Ending Vertical Transmission through Community Action, opened today at the Georgetown University Conference Center, with a keynote address from U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee. The symposium brings together service providers, donors, researchers, advocates, and policy leaders – all to share data and discuss best pratices for children and families.

EGPAF, a member of CCABA, is presenting throughout the symposium, including talks by staff from the     U.S., Switzerland, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. EGPAF topics on preventing mother-to-child transmission of  HIV (PMTCT) include:

  • Country-level efforts to scale up and integrate community support with medical services
  • Improving the continuum of care by promoting male involvement
  • Mobilizing community engagement through capacity building of media practitioners
  • Strengthening district capacity for rapid PMTCT scale up in Zimbabwe using the District Focal Person Approach

CCABA has produced a  great roadmap on pediatric and PMTCT-related sessions at AIDS 2012, and will be hosting their own session on Wed, July 25 on community involvement that EGPAF will be participating in.

EGPAF also has a strong presence at the 4th Annual International Workshop on HIV Pediatrics. The abstract-driven workshop shares the latest scientific data and discusses how to implement advances in PMTCT and pediatric treatment in the field.

Both the symposium and the workshop conclude on Sat, July 21, but will help drive the discussion of HIV and children and families throughout AIDS 2012.

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Filed under Community, Implementation, Pediatric Treatment, PMTCT, Research, Switzerland, Tanzania, U.S., Zimbabwe

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