HIV/AIDS | UNICEF, Baylor Partner To Increase Access to Treatment Among HIV-Positive Children in 120 Countries

GlobalHealthReporting.org

UNICEF and the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative on Thursday in New York City are scheduled to sign a partnership agreement aimed at expanding access to antiretroviral drugs and other treatments among HIV-positive children to 120 countries, the Houston Chronicle reports (Leigh, Houston Chronicle, 11/16). Currently, BIPAI and UNICEF are working together to expand antiretroviral drugs access to children in 20 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa. BIPAI has clinics in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi and Romania that aim to treat 80,000 HIV-positive children in five years (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 3/3). BIPAI currently provides HIV/AIDS care to about 10,000 children and treatment to about 4,700 children. The expanded partnership will increase Baylor's operations to 120 countries -- including India, Pakistan and Nepal -- the Chronicle reports. Under the partnership, UNICEF and BIPAI aim to build more pediatric HIV/AIDS clinics, provide four-wheel drive vehicles for health workers to reach remote locations, expand existing clinics, train local health workers in pediatric HIV/AIDS care and support programs to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. UNICEF and BIPAI "complement each other so beautifully," BIPAI President Mark Kline said, adding that the new partnership has no limit in terms of funding or time frames. According to the Chronicle, BIPAI will help UNICEF meet its goal of providing about 700,000 HIV-positive children with access to antiretroviral treatment by 2010 (Houston Chronicle, 11/16).
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