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leaders in giving
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"At the podium, Mark A. Wallace, president and CEO of Texas Children's, announces the $5 million Challenge Fund for BIPAI and the $3 million in matching commitments from Abbott Fund and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. Joining Wallace on stage for the announcement are (from left) Jeff Richardson, vice president of Abbott Fund; John Damonti, president of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation; Dr. Mark Kline, founder and president of BIPAI and chief of Retrovirology at Texas Children's; and Dr. Ralph Feigin, physician-in-chief of Texas Children's." |
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Children in Africa will have newfound hope thanks to $3 million in recent gift commitments from the Abbott Fund and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation to the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) at Texas Children's Hospital.
Led by Founder and President Mark Kline, M.D., BIPAI is entering its 12th year of providing lifesaving treatment and education to children throughout the world hit hardest by the AIDS epidemic.
The new pledges came immediately after Texas Children's announced the establishment of a $5 million "Challenge Fund" commitment to Kline and his program. Both the Abbott Fund's $2 million pledge and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation's $1 million pledge were met by Texas Children's Hospital to provide a total of $6 million to the program in one afternoon.
"With these commitments, Abbott Fund and Bristol-Myers Squibb will add exponentially to their already outstanding support of Dr. Kline and his program. We are deeply grateful to have their partnership in these efforts," said
Mark A. Wallace, president and chief executive officer of Texas Children's Hospital. "Thanks to their help, countless children all over the world, who otherwise would have died of AIDS, will get to grow up and realize the potential their lives have to offer."
Abbott Fund, a philanthropic foundation established in 1951 by Abbott, the global health care company, has partnered with BIPAI since 2000. The fund has supported the pioneering pediatric clinic in Romania, opened the first pediatric clinic in Malawi in 2006, and helped establish the Children's Clinical Centers of Excellence Network to train health professionals and share best practices in HIV care.
Through Abbott Global AIDS Care programs, Abbott and Abbott Fund are investing more than $100 million in programs like Kline's to advance HIV testing, treatment and support services in developing countries.
Bristol-Myers Squibb and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation developed SECURE THE FUTURE, a public-private collaboration to help alleviate the HIV/AIDS crisis among women and children in sub-Saharan Africa. Since the collaboration's inception in 1999, the company has committed $150 million to more than 200 programs, including BIPAI.
Wallace announced the Texas Children's challenge commitment and the additional gifts at a luncheon in early April highlighting the groundbreaking work of Kline, also chief of Retrovirology at Texas Children's and a professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.
"Words cannot describe the pride we have in being a part of this unparalleled initiative. Dr. Kline's tireless efforts have resulted in increased awareness of the AIDS pandemic in Africa, but moreover, the initiative has saved countless lives and provided hope to an area of the world that seemed forgotten," said Wallace.
Under the guidance and leadership of Kline, BIPAI at Texas Children's has grown from an initial pediatric AIDS clinic in Romania to six clinics throughout Africa in Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Malawi and Uganda. Kline and his team have trained and placed health professionals and treated a larger number of HIV-infected children than any other organization.
The care and education provided at the clinics has led to remarkable success and has become a model for reaching HIV-infected children and their families. The money pledged to help meet Texas Children's Challenge Fund, as well as potential future funding, will be used to:
- Enhance and expand satellite facilities for HIV-infected children, including at least 20 new clinics
- Provide outreach to children in rural and semi-rural areas
- Expand efforts to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV
- Initiate voluntary hospital-based testing of children in order to provide proactive and appropriate treatment
"These gifts will help us not only grow our program, but also allow us to investigate additional areas that may lead to the reduction and, ultimately, the eradication of this disease," Kline said. "I want to thank the Abbott Fund, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Texas Children's Hospital for stepping up to make a true difference in the health of children throughout the world."
Texas Children's recently launched a $1.5 billion expansion initiative, Vision 2010, which is focused on research advancements and expanding access to quality care for all children. According to Wallace, the work and goals of the AIDS initiative align with the mission and future vision of Texas Children's in supporting a community of healthy children—whether that community is local, regional or international.
"The BIPAI program at Texas Children's Hospital is a true example of this endeavor and a model for excellence and eminence throughout the world," he added.
Make a gift now or pledge a contribution to be matched by Texas Children's Hospital. For questions, please email jsclem@texaschildrenshospital.org or call 832-824-2107.
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