Health Blog

The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) Global Pediatric Program launched in 2005and began its work in twelve different developing countries where there was virtually no treatment available for children with HIV/AIDS. At that time, many considered treatment too costly and complicated to try to diagnose and treat children with the disease. CHAI set to work to prove that irrational logic wrong. 

In 2005 one in eight adults were treated for HIV/AIDS whilst only one in 40 children infected received any treatment. Under CHAI’s efforts, today the percentage of children being treated is nearly as high as that of adults. CHAI focuses on a multilevel approach to prevent transmission, focusing not only on pregnancy and delivery transmissions, but the period of breastfeeding and on to long-term care for the family.

 

The expansion of treatment for children by this pediatric AIDS organization was accomplished in several ways. They successfully worked to reduce (by an impressive 90%) the cost of pediatric AIDS mediations by combining drug volumes in the region; producing a tremendous increase in the number of children receiving HIV/AIDS treatments.  Medication dosage problems for children were high. Twelve bottles of medicine were needed for one month’s pediatric dose. Today children receive one pill twice daily instead of large amounts of syrup. In 2005, there were only 200 testing sites for children in the 34 countries served by CHAI. Today that number is closer to 4,600. CHAI established guidelines for pediatric testing, equipped clinics with the necessary equipment and supplies, and trained workers in the correct method of drawing blood from infants.

 

Another major problem that pediatric AIDS workers have encountered was the lapse in time between the testing of children and receipt of the test results. Many mothers were never informed that their child tested positive. Children therefore did not begin receiving treatment. CHAI administratively reduced the amount of time that elapsed between testing and diagnosis results so children began to receive necessary treatment promptly.

 

Medications to prevent transmission of HIV/AIDS from mothers to their babies have now been developed. CHAI will focus efforts on these treatments in the future as well as continuing to assure that all children who need it are receiving testing and the appropriate treatment. Children in developing countries now have a chance to lead much healthier and longer lives.