Pediatric HIV Care and Treatment

An estimated 2.3 million children worldwide live with HIV/AIDS. Without treatment, half of all HIV-infected infants will die before they turn two, and almost 75 percent of these children will die before their fifth birthdays. Currently, an estimated 1.9 million children need antiretroviral treatment (ART).

ICAP supports the development of pediatric HIV care and treatment programs, including the following activities:

• Expanded care and treatment, including provision of ART and management of opportunistic infections and HIV-related complications;
• Strengthened mechanisms for enrolling HIV-exposed and infected infants and children in HIV care and treatment programs;
• Innovative training programs for multidisciplinary teams of pediatric healthcare providers in comprehensive, family-focused HIV/AIDS care and treatment;
• Pediatric Centers of Excellence for training and site support and to increase the number of infants and children receiving comprehensive HIV/AIDS care and treatment;
• Building laboratory capacity to diagnose HIV in infants and children, including the use of Dried Blood Spot DNA PCR testing;
• Resources for pediatric HIV/AIDS care and treatment, including clinical manuals, pocket guides, and job aids;
• Support for the development of national protocols and training curricula for pediatric HIV/AIDS care and treatment.