Abbott and Abbott Fund Expand Commitment to Fight Pediatric HIV/AIDS in Africa With US$12 Million in New Support
20/07/2007 21:01
PR Newswire
ABBOTT PARK, Illinois, July 20 /PRNewswire/ --
Abbott (NYSE: ABT) and Abbott Fund announced several efforts to expand
access to treatment and care for children living with HIV/AIDS, including an
additional investment of
US$12 million in grants and product donations this year. These programs
will work to close some of the gaps in pediatric HIV care by increasing the
number of trained, experienced pediatric HIV doctors and health care workers;
establishing critical linkages between prevention, testing and treatment
services for pregnant women and children within health care facilities; and
working to overcome some of the cultural issues and stigma associated with
HIV.
The need for programs to fight pediatric HIV/AIDS has never been greater,
with more than one child becoming infected with HIV every minute of every
day. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2.3 million children
under the age of 15 are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Without care and
treatment, it is estimated that three out of every ten children with HIV will
die before they reach their first birthday, 50 percent by 2 years and 60
percent before they reach 3 years old.
"Abbott Fund began providing support for the care and treatment of
HIV-infected children in resource-poor settings even before it was widely
accepted by many experts," said Mark Kline, M.D., president of the Baylor
College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative at Texas
Children's Hospital. "Thanks to their continuous support, we find ourselves
at the dawn of a new era of hope for hundreds of thousands of children across
Africa and around the world."
New Programs Break Down Barriers to Pediatric HIV Care
Expanding on its longstanding partnerships with Baylor College of
Medicine and other leading organizations, Abbott Fund is providing new grants
to Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS
Foundation (EGPAF) and Family Health International (FHI) to explore new
approaches to identify and enable women and children to better access HIV
testing and treatment services in Malawi, Kenya and Tanzania. In 2007, these
initiatives are anticipated to help nearly 40,000 pregnant women receive HIV
testing and more than 5,000 children receive HIV treatment through the
following outreach efforts:
-- Abbott Fund will work with EGPAF in Tanzania to better identify and
provide care and treatment for children and families affected by HIV;
this program also will focus on working to stop the spread of HIV from
pregnant mothers to their unborn children (known as prevention of
mother-to-child transmission, or PMTCT).
-- Abbott Fund's support will enable CMMB, through its work at
71 faith-affiliated health centers throughout Kenya, to provide HIV
counseling, testing, treatment and PMTCT services to pregnant women in
rural Kenyan villages, as well as provide infant care.
-- Abbott Fund is partnering with FHI in Malawi and Tanzania to reach
thousands of children with comprehensive HIV prevention, care and
treatment services. FHI is integrating these services into its
existing, large-scale HIV prevention and treatment programs in both
countries.
Ongoing Programs Improve the Lives of Children Affected by HIV/AIDS
With these new grants, Abbott and Abbott Fund have now invested more than
US$70 million over the past seven years on pediatric HIV prevention, testing
and treatment programs.
A key part of this work has been Abbott Fund's longstanding partnership
with Baylor College of Medicine to pioneer and expand a new pediatric
treatment model, and train health professionals in pediatric HIV care. Abbott
Fund supported the Baylor College of Medicine in establishing a pediatric
HIV/AIDS treatment program in Romania that reduced the death rate for
children with HIV by more than 90 percent. Baylor is now replicating this
model program across Africa, including opening the first pediatric HIV clinic
in Malawi in November 2006 with Abbott Fund and the Government of Malawi.
Baylor and Abbott Fund also partnered to establish the Baylor Children's
Clinical Centers of Excellence Network to train health professionals and
share best practices in HIV care. These pediatric health workers together
treat 17,000 children with HIV -- the largest number of children with HIV in
any treatment program worldwide.
Abbott Fund also provides care and support for orphans and vulnerable
children affected by HIV/AIDS through innovative model programs that address
specific community needs, including HIV testing, legal assistance for women
and children, child-focused counseling and support groups, and vocational
training. Since 2001, more than 600,000 children and families have received
services.
The transmission of HIV from mother to child remains a significant
problem in developing countries; more than 90 percent of children with HIV
contract the disease during their mother's pregnancy, during birth or through
breastfeeding. Testing is the first step toward achieving prevention, and
Abbott is donating rapid HIV tests to PMTCT programs in 69 countries,
including all of Africa. To date, Abbott has provided more than 5 million
free HIV tests through the program.
About Abbott Global AIDS Care Programs
For more than 20 years, Abbott has made a significant contribution to the
fight against HIV/AIDS through the development of innovative tests and
medicines. Expanding on its scientific contributions, Abbott and Abbott Fund
have invested more than US$100 million in developing countries to improve the
lives of people affected by HIV/AIDS through programs targeting critical
areas of need, including strengthening health care systems, supporting
children affected by HIV/AIDS, preventing mother-to-child transmission of
HIV, and advancing HIV testing and treatment. For more information on
Abbott's HIV/AIDS programs, please visit http://www.abbottglobalcare.org and
http://www.abbott.com/HIVAIDS .
About Abbott and Abbott Fund
Abbott Fund is a philanthropic foundation established by Abbott in 1951.
The Fund's mission is to create healthier global communities by investing in
creative ideas that promote science, expand access to health care and
strengthen communities worldwide. For more information, visit
http://www.abbottfund.org .
Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the
discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and
medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The
company employs 65,000 people and markets its products in more than
130 countries. Abbott's news releases and other information are available
on the company's Web site at http://www.abbott.com .
Web site: http://www.abbott.com
http://www.abbottfund.org
http://www.abbottglobalcare.org
http://www.abbott.com/HIVAIDS
Ann Fahey-Widman, +1-847-938-6388, or Matt Bedella, +1-847-936-3394, both of Abbott