Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation Lesotho (BCMCFL)

Core Activities:

The Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative based in Houston, Texas is committed to improving the health and lives of HIV infected children and families globally. Its mission is to conduct a program of high quality, high impact, highly ethical pediatric and family HIV/AIDS care and treatment, health professional training, and clinical research. The Baylor Centre of Excellence (COE) in Maseru was build and equipped by the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI), with funding from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Secure the Future Foundation. BIPAI oversees the running of the clinic. Operations are funded by the government of Lesotho through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Other BIPAI clinics already operate in Romania, Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi and Uganda. Three more clinics in Africa are in various stages of development in Burkina Faso and Tanzania.

Activities in Lesotho:

BCMCFL manages the Baylor College of Medicine Bristol-Myers Squibb Childrens Clinical Centre of Excellence (COE) in Maseru. This is the facility where care and treatment, and health professional training is held. The two-story, 14,000 square-foot centre is on land donated by the country of Lesotho. The outpatient facility includes 10 examination rooms, procedure rooms, a pharmacy, a small laboratory, and training classrooms. The center’s staff uses the space to train local healthcare professionals in the care and treatment of HIV-infected children. All services at the Baylor College of Medicine Bristol-Myers Squibb Childrens Clinical Centre of Excellence are free of charge and patients do not require referrals. The foundation also maintains a presence in all 10 districts through Baylor staff that rotate among the districts working at the government hospitals and health centres.

Three core program areas of BCMCF-L’s work include:

I. Care and Treatment of Children/Families with HIV/AIDS
This program includes pre and post HIV test counseling for patients of all ages. HIV positive children are enrolled in the program, and admitted into Queen II Hospital if needed, while HIV negative children are treated for their current illness. HIV exposed babies and HIV infected pregnant mothers are also cared for at the centre. HIV positive adults are referred to the nearby adult treatment facility, the Senkatana Centre. In special circumstances (such as especially needy HIV positive parent and child), adults are treated at Baylors “Family Clinic.” All enrolled patients receive a comprehensive care package, including the ARV program, management of acute infection and opportunistic infection, management of antiretroviral therapy, nutrition and TB services, adherence, social work and counseling services, and pharmaceutical services.

As of 2008, there were 3300 children and 600 adults enrolled in this program.

II. Training of Health Providers Throughout the Country in Care and Treatment of Children and Families with HIV/AIDS
Baylor doctors rotate to various districts to visit hospitals and local health clinics. While on these visits, they train and mentor local staff in pediatric HIV/AIDS treatment, providing direct capacity building to the communities. This is especially important for children who live far from Maseru and the main COE, so that HIV positive children can be adequately cared for within their communities.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, BCMCF-L brings in healthcare providers from around the country to the Baylor College of Medicine Bristol-Myers Squibb Childrens Clinical Centre of Excellence in Maseru for training and courses on pediatric HIV/AIDS. Baylor also conducts training for other groups in Lesotho on aspects of HIV, apart from on-the-job training. Between 2006 and 2007, BCMCFL facilitated more than 216 hours of didactic trainings, reaching 503 healthcare professionals.

I. Operational Research to Inform Care and Treatment Objectives
BCMCFL conducts socially and clinically relevant research on an ongoing basis in an effort to inform care of patients at the centre and throughout the country.
re rooms, a pharmacy, a small laboratory, and training rooms. The center’s staff uses the space to train local healthcare professionals in the special needs of HIV-infected children. All services at the Baylor College of Medicine Bristol-Myers Squibb Childrens Clinical Centre of Excellence are free of charge and patients do not require referrals. Baylor also maintains a presence in all 10 districts through Baylor staff that rotate among the districts working at the government hospitals and health clinics.

Three core program areas of BCMCFL’s work include:

I. Care and Treatment of Children/Families with HIV/AIDS
This program includes pre and post HIV test counseling for patients of all ages. HIV positive children are enrolled in the program, and admitted into Queen II Hospital if needed, while HIV negative children are treated for their current sickness and released. HIV positive adults are referred to the nearby adult treatment facility, the Senkatana Centre. In special circumstances (such as especially needy HIV positive parent and child), adults will be treated at Baylors “Family Clinic.” All enrolled patients receive a comprehensive care package, including the ARV program, visits by the nutritionist, and counseling, as needed.

As of 2008, there were 2500 children and 500 adults enrolled in this program.

II. Training of Health Providers Throughout the Country in Care and Treatment of Children / Families with HIV/AIDS
Baylor doctors rotate to various districts to visit government hospitals and local health clinics. While on these visits, they train and mentor people in pediatric HIV/AIDS treatment, providing direct capacity building to the communities. This is especially important for children who live far from Maseru and the Baylor clinic, so that communities can adequately care for HIV positive children within their communities.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, BCMCFL brings in healthcare providers from around the country to the Baylor College of Medicine Bristol-Myers Squibb Childrens Clinical Centre of Excellence in Maseru for training and courses on pediatric AIDS. Baylor also conducts training for other groups in Lesotho on aspects of HIV, apart from on-the-job training. Between 2006 and 2007, BCMCFL facilitated more than 216 hours of didactic trainings, reaching 503 healthcare professionals.

I. Operational Research to Inform Care and Treatment Objectives
BCMCFL conducts socially and clinically relevant research on an ongoing basis in an effort to inform care of patients at the centre and throughout the country.

Future Plans:

In addition to increasing the number of pediatric and family patients at the COE in Maseru, outreach in all ten districts is being increased, which includes escalating care and treatment of these patients as well as further training of local staff. The major activity planned for the future is the construction of satellite clinics in every district. Currently, construction of four satellite clinics in Leribe, Qachas Nek, Botha Buthe and Mokhotlong is underway, with completion expected by the end of 2009. The remaining six clinics will be constructed and completed once these four centres are operational.

Funding:

BCMCF-L is funded through the Government of Lesotho / Baylor partnership.

The division of funding towards BCMCFL is as follows:
·Facility: The Maseru clinic facility was funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb
·Operations (including staff, medication, administration): covered by the Government of Lesotho through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare via yearly cash subventions.
·Pediatric AIDS Corps Program (supplies Baylor doctors to Lesotho): jointly between Baylor College of Medicine and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
·Outreach activities by UNICEF Lesotho.
·Construction of satellite clinics in all districts (ongoing through 2009): Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Childrens Hospital, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
·Private donations.
·Oversight and management: Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative.

This organisation’s info updated on: Sun, Aug 30, 2009. Please disregard the date below.