Texas Children's Hospital Reflects on Success of Global HIV/AIDS Program During World AIDS Day

HOUSTON, Nov. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In anticipation of World AIDS Day on December 1st and based on Hillary Clinton's call for an "AIDS-free generation," Texas Children's Hospital is reflecting on the landmark successes in treating children and families with HIV/AIDS worldwide of the Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI), a program of the Texas Children's global health initiatives. Under the direction of Mark W. Kline, M.D., BIPAI provides HIV/AIDS care and treatment to more children and families than any other organization worldwide. BIPAI currently has more than 100,000 HIV-infected children and families in its care, more than double the number of HIV-infected children in the U.S., Canada and Western Europe combined. The program includes an established infrastructure of HIV/AIDS centers across Africa and in Romania that is staffed by local health professionals as well as American physicians recruited to the Texas Children's Global Health Corps.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111130/DC14525)

"We established a model and set a standard of care through BIPAI, showing what could be accomplished through partnership with local governments, communities and organizations," said Dr. Kline, physician-in-chief of Texas Children's Hospital, founder and president of BIPAI and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.

BIPAI's success lies with its needs-based philosophy and focus on creative, practical, on-the-ground care and treatment programs.  Local governments are engaged for partnerships and support, and training is done to bolster local capacity for pediatric and family healthcare. 

Based on the success of this model of HIV/AIDS care delivery, Texas Children's Hospital now is turning to other neglected diseases heavily impacting the world's poorest children and families. The network of BIPAI clinics and partnerships established throughout sub-Saharan Africa will provide the infrastructure and capacity to tackle a multitude of other serious or life-threatening diseases, including malaria, tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases like sickle cell and cancer. 

Dr. Kline said, "While our work in treating HIV/AIDS is not yet done, during this World AIDS Day we take time to reflect on all that BIPAI has accomplished, and the promise of our ongoing efforts to create a healthier life for children across the globe."

About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to creating a community of healthy children through excellence in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation, Texas Children's has recognized Centers of Excellence in multiple pediatric subspecialties including the Cancer and Heart Centers, and operates the largest primary pediatric care network in the country. Texas Children's is completing a $1.5 billion expansion, which includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; and Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston.  For more information on Texas Children's, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news from Texas Children's by visiting the online newsroom and on Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.

Baylor College of Medicine (www.bcm.edu) in Houston is recognized as a premier academic health science center and is known for excellence in education, research and patient care. It is the only private medical school in the greater southwest and is ranked as one of the top 25 medical schools for research in U.S. News & World Report. BCM is listed 17th among all U.S. medical schools for National Institutes of Health funding, and No. 2 in the nation in federal funding for research and development in the biological sciences at universities and colleges by the National Science Foundation. Located in the Texas Medical Center, BCM has affiliations with eight teaching hospitals. Currently, BCM trains more than 3,000 medical, graduate, nurse anesthesia, and physician assistant students, as well as residents and post-doctoral fellows. BCM is also home to the Baylor Clinic, an adult clinical practice that includes advanced technologies for faster, more accurate diagnosis and treatment, access to the latest clinical trials and discoveries, and groundbreaking healthcare based on proven research. Follow Baylor College of Medicine on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/BaylorCollegeOfMedicine) and twitter (http://twitter.com/BCMHouston). For information on research at Baylor College of Medicine, please go to www.bcm.edu/fromthelab.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.
Mark Kline
ProfNet - http://www.profnetconnect.com/Mark_Kline  

Contact:
Christy Brunton
832-824-2645
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SOURCE Texas Children's Hospital