With the influx of international funding, many developing countries are beginning to scale up HIV treatment programs. However, due to the overwhelming impact of the AIDS pandemic, the complexity of treating HIV-infected children, and a lack of resources and specialized training, few countries have prioritized the treatment of HIV-infected children. Children are generally not seen until they become seriously ill, and there are very few health professionals with pediatric HIV training to manage their care.
In 2001, Abbott Fund supported the Baylor College of Medicine in establishing a clinical model for treating children with HIV. On April 6, 2001, the first clinic was opened in Constanta, Romania, the epicenter of HIV in Eastern Europe. Pediatric mortality at the clinic was reduced by 90 percent in three years. This model program is now being replicated by Baylor across Africa. The Baylor program has provided care and treatment to more than 20,000 children, making it the largest group of children in the world being treated for HIV. This model program is now being replicated by Baylor across Africa, with the goal of providing treatment for more than 12,000 children with HIV by the end of 2006. In partnership with Baylor and the Government of Malawi, Abbott Fund
opened the first pediatric treatment center in Malawi, one of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa hit hardest by AIDS. Abbott Fund is also ;supporting Baylor's efforts to train health professionals and share best practices in HIV care.
For more information on the pioneering Baylor clinic supported by Abbott Fund in Romania click here.
For more information on the expansion of the Baylor Network, including the Baylor-Abbott Fund Children’s Clinical Centre of Excellence-Malawi and pediatric training programs click here.
In addition, Abbott Fund works with various partners to identify and treat children, including infants, infected by HIV/AIDS.
Abbott Fund works with Academic Model For Prevention And Treatment Of HIV/AIDS (AMPATH, also known as the Indiana University-Moi University, Kenya Partnership in the Turbo and Mautuma areas of Kenya. The main focus of the Abbott Fund-AMPATH partnership is to prevent HIV infections in all members of Turbo and Mautuma including newborns by testing all HIV-infected parents and children and to enroll all who are positive into treatment programs.
Abbott Fund is working with Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) to provide PMTCT services in 70 faith-based health facilities in six provinces in Kenya. Through the partnership, testing, care and treatment will be provided to pregnant women and exposed babies and infants.
The Abbott Fund- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) partnership in Tanzania and Uganda is working to accelerate enrollment of HIV infected children into care and treatment and develop capacity of health care workers.
The three areas of focus of the Abbott Fund/Family Health International (FHI) partnership in Tanzania and Malawi are the reduction of HIV transmission from mother to child; increase in access to comprehensive care and treatment for HIV infected children; and support of the government in creating an enabling environment through policy formulation and guidelines on pediatric HIV and AIDS management and ensuring the sustainability of scale-up over the life of project.
Abbott Fund is working with its partner, Prayas in western India on many projects, including: setting up a laboratory in Pune for routine screening, DNA PCR testing for infants, CD4 counts and HIV viral loads; training laboratory technicians and clinicians on new testing methods, counseling and care of HIV positive individuals; and developing materials for families, care providers and children in the form of written material, video films, electronic media materials.
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Abbott's pediatric formulations for the treatment of HIV
Pediatric treatment has always been an integral part of Abbott's HIV research and development programs, and the company has provided long-standing access to pediatric formulations of its HIV medicines. For more information click here.
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