10/22/2007

Contact: Robert Yule, Washington, D.C.
202-448-8456
ryule@pedaids.org

Washington, D.C.—A new study partially funded by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation demonstrates that children with HIV in Africa can be successfully treated with decentralized services provided by nurses and clinical officers, in addition to treatment by physicians in specialized settings.

The study will be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on Wednesday, October 24, and is co-authored by Dr. Catherine M. Wilfert, the scientific director for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

The JAMA article indicates that antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV-infected children in sub-Saharan Africa can be successfully scaled up in primary health care facilities within a country’s existing health care infrastructure. Conducted at 18 government sites in Zambia supported by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, the study includes the largest reported cohort of children receiving ART. Significantly, this treatment was provided without pediatric specialty expertise.

The research also documents that the youngest infected children were reached less effectively than older children, and that mortality is highest among underweight children and those who are severely immunosuppressed. These findings support the critical need for earlier diagnosis and treatment referral for HIV-infected children.

The article is part of the Council of Science Editors’ 2007 Global Theme Issue on Poverty and Human Development, launched today at an event at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). More than 230 scientific journals throughout the world will simultaneously publish articles on October 22 on various aspects of this theme, including the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The study was partially funded by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation through a grant to Project HEART from the U.S Centers for Disease Control (CDC) under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Funding was also provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

To read the article, visit http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/298/16/1888.

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About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a worldwide leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS. Its innovative research programs, collaborative training initiatives, advocacy efforts, and rapidly expanding international prevention and treatment programs are bringing dramatic changes to the lives of children worldwide.