Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation/Glaser Pediatric Research Network

NEW!  Click here for our Public Service Announcement Video
(windows media player file)

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (the Foundation) has benefited tremendously from Jewelers for Children (JFC)'s support over the past decade. JFC annual grants have facilitated a variety of Foundation programs and activities, both U.S.-based and in international settings. I am writing today to share how JFC's generous funding has helped bring impressive results to our efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa.

In 1999, the Foundation launched the "Call to Action" (CTA) Program to bring simplified medication regimens for prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) of HIV to families in developing countries. The CTA Program was designed to mobilize a worldwide response to the global pediatric AIDS epidemic and take immediate action to prevent infants from becoming infected with HIV. Private funders such as JFC responded quickly and generously.

JFC's 2001 support of the Foundation included a planning grant, which laid the groundwork for implementation of PMTCT programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Between 2002 and 2004, JFC's continued support of CTA in Congo facilitated a PMTCT program through which 49,048 women were counseled and 41,642 were tested for HIV. Of those tested, 1,034 were identified as HIV-positive. Antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis was given to 738 mothers and 463 newborns. The program's positive impact also was felt beyond Congo, as a delegation from Ethiopia's Ministry of Health made visits to the CTA program in 2004. The Congo CTA team provided recommendations that were taken into account as Ethiopia's national AIDS control strategy was developed. Notably, JFC's initial support of this program in the DRC helped the Foundation leverage funding from other sources such as Johnson & Johnson, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF.

Prior to the Foundation's work in Congo, more than a decade had lapsed since the international community had given needed attention to this country. The Foundation's activities have expanded significantly in Congo since the early years of CTA. As of December 31, 2007, the Foundation was supporting PMTCT services at more than 70 sites - from hospitals in the capital city to facilities in rural settings. In 2007 alone, 66,320 women were counseled about HIV and 61,677 were tested. Of those tested, 1,118 were identified as HIV-positive. ARVs were administered to 877 of the HIV-positive pregnant women and to 670 infants.

In 2002 and 2003, a portion of JFC's grants was directed to CTA efforts in Angola, where a 27-year civil war had just ended when our activities commenced. The program, established at Kilambe Kiaxy Hospital's Lucrecia Paim Maternity, effectively trained healthcare workers and initiated community mobilization programs. Angolan physicians were sent to Brazil for training in ARV treatment. However, the unexpected death of the Lucrecia Paim Maternity's director, with whom we began the partnership, precluded the Foundation from implementing PMTCT services. After two years, the Angola program was reevaluated and a decision was made to cease supporting it. Although this result was not desired, the Foundation was grateful for JFC's grant to enable our efforts in a country highly impacted by HIV/AIDS.

The CTA Program represents a cornerstone of the Foundation's International Family AIDS Initiatives. Funders that have contributed to CTA activities have, more broadly, also helped strengthen our International Family AIDS Initiatives, which today encompass 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, the DRC, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Through the Initiatives, the Foundation has led the way internationally in the provision of PMTCT services. Indeed, as of December 31, 2007, the Foundation's programs have reached more than 4.8 million women with access to PMTCT programs. More than 3.9 million women have been tested for HIV. The Foundation has also led the way in the provision of care and treatment services. As of December 31, 2007, more than 365,000 individuals have been enrolled into our care and support programs, including more than 30,000 children. Of those ever enrolled, nearly 200,000 individuals have begun antiretroviral treatment, including more than 15,000 children under the age of 15. JFC's and other private funders' early support of CTA activities has helped make possible the Foundation's rapid growth and far-reaching coverage in sub-Saharan Africa.

Along with supporting our lifesaving implementation efforts overseas, JFC has also contributed to the Foundation's International Leadership Award (ILA) Program. ILA recipients, selected through a competitive peer review process, are internationally-based scientists, researchers, and public health specialists who have the potential to develop pediatric HIV/AIDS programs, but lack the in-country resources to implement such vital initiatives. Two of last year's three ILA recipients are from and work in Africa. Dr. Anneke C. Hesseling, of Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa, is addressing the integration of tuberculosis and HIV prevention strategies to help reduce morbidity in HIV-infected women and their infants. Dr. Assan Jaye, of the Medical Research Council Laboratories in The Gambia, is focused on developing a clinical and research unit for the study of pediatric HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection in his home country. Both began their three-year projects in earnest this winter and report excellent progress to date.

JFC's annual grants have played a significant role in helping the Foundation have a notable impact in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than two-thirds of all adults and nearly 90 percent of children with HIV live. We have made very good progress in reaching greater numbers of women and children each year, but much more work is needed. As we strive to scale up prevention and treatment services in Africa, the Foundation hopes to continue its strong partnership with JFC.

 
Click here for the latest update on the work of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
 

 
Please visit www.gprn.org for profiles on our terrific Fellows. Click on the “Fellow Spotlights” section to read more!