ViiV Healthcare's Positive Action for Children Fund Announces 16 New Grantees for the Year 2011/2012

Expanding our reach to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV

LONDON, Oct. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ViiV Healthcare announced today that it has awarded approximately 3.9 million pounds Sterling to 16 organisations in eight countries, through its Positive Action for Children Fund (PACF). All grantees have been recognised for their commitment to improving the standard of access to care for women, children and families living with or affected by HIV. Such work is closely aligned with the World Health Organization's vision for addressing the mother-to-child transmission of HIV and works toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals set to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health.

This round of grants spans eight countries, where we recognise that there is the greatest need. In addition to Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda, where we have previously supported programmes; we have broadened our reach to Mozambique, Russia and Sierra Leone. Out of the 16 organisations to receive large grants, four of these are based in Ethiopia where according to PEPFAR, women account for over half of the 1.5 million people living with HIV. Each year 70,000 births are from women living with HIV and maternal-to-child transmission of HIV accounts for over 90% of new childhood infections and 14% of all HIV transmission in Ethiopia. The Positive Action for Children Fund will support programmes in Ethiopia which aim to deliver continued use of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services and prevent unintended pregnancies.

Dr Dominique Limet, CEO, ViiV Healthcare, commented that, "These new partnerships through the Positive Action for Children Fund demonstrate our commitment to improving access and standard of care to communities of people living with HIV/AIDS around the world. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV is a challenge that crosses borders and touches many communities, hence our push to support a diverse range of projects and expand the Positive Action for Children Fund's geography. This year, loss to follow up was identified as a key focus area for the majority of applicants. We are pleased that 60% of the programmes we are supporting respond to this issue."

A key challenge for most of the programmes is providing continued support over the long-term to pregnant women living with HIV and ensuring they understand the importance of accessing the health systems made available to them. The majority of projects funded support initiatives which are linked to providing care and support for HIV positive women and their children and addressing the issue of loss to follow up to care.

"This year's grantees represent a wide range of programmes focused on community engagement and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). We are pleased to be able to work with diverse community groups towards empowering women to make positive life choices, addressing issues related to gender and exclusion and stigma and discrimination," said Professor Catherine Peckham, chair of the Positive Action for Children Advisory Board.

Positive Action for Children Fund recognises the need to build the capacity for local organisations to deliver directly to the communities in which they operate. As such we are proud that two thirds of the grantees build capacity and support programmes run by local non-governmental organisations.

The following is the list of grantees in this announcement:

Action Plus: 'Community HIV Prevention Project', (Sierra Leone)
African Union of the BLIND (AFUB): Equalize It: Making HIV/AIDS and SRH Programs Accessible to Blind Adolescents and Youth, (Kenya)
AMREF: Community-based PMTCT, (Ethiopia)
Cameroon Baptist Health Convention Health Board: Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Board, (Cameroon)
Community of People Living with HIV: Rehabilitation Centres for HIV+ Women and Mothers, (Russia)
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation: NAKINAE AKIYAR, (Kenya)
Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum – Uganda (HRAPF): Human Rights Advocacy Project for Strengthening the Legal, Human Rights & Policy Response to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic, (Uganda)
ICHANGE CI' 'I CHANGE CI: Mother to Child project / M2C, (Cote d'Ivoire)
Infectious Diseases Institute: Building and maintaining the capacity of Community-Based Organisations to contribute to the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV, (Uganda)
Interact Worldwide: Interventions to address PMTCT issues, (Ethiopia)
Intl HIV AIDS Alliance: Expanding the Role of PLHIV and Communities to PMTCT services, (Uganda)
Kenya Council of Imams and Ulamaa: Strengthening Muslim Community Linkages to Health Facilities, (Kenya)
Kuwangisana: Hope and a Future Maternal Child Health (HFMCH), (Mozambique)
Population Council: Kalkidan ("Keeping the Promise"): Addressing Marital Transmission of HIV, (Ethiopia)
Tilla Association of HIV Positive Women: Scaling up the demand for PMTCT service & for the provision & improvement of better services to HIV positive pregnant women & their children, (Ethiopia)
Vanderbilt University for Global Health: Increase male participation in maternal health care services by raising awareness in Inhassunge District communities, about the important role men play in their partner's and children's health, (Mozambique)

The next call for proposals for the Positive Action for Children Fund will be announced by the end of 2011. Candidates may register their interest here to receive a notification once the information is made available.

Click here to find out more about the grantees

Notes to Editors

About the Positive Action for Children Fund

The Positive Action for Children Fund was first announced in July 2009 and builds upon the foundation of the long-standing Positive Action programme, established in 1992. With an emphasis on community engagement, ViiV Healthcare's Positive Action programme will continue to support global efforts to address the challenges of HIV prevention, tackling stigma and discrimination, building capacity and treatment literacy.

Following extensive consultations with some of the sector's leading non-governmental organisations, practitioners and policy-makers in this field, the Fund focuses on grants that pursue the four elements of the World Health Organization's (WHO) strategic vision and comprehensive approach for addressing the mother-to-child transmission of HIV, under these four headings:

• Increasing and improving primary prevention of HIV infection among women of childbearing age.
• Delivering proper and equitable reproductive choices for people living with HIV/AIDS.
• Interventions that prevent HIV transmission from a woman living with HIV to her infant.  
• Improving the health and welfare of mothers living with HIV, their children and families by providing appropriate treatment, care and support.

About ViiV Healthcare

ViiV Healthcare is a global specialist HIV company established by GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK.L) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) to deliver advances in treatment and care for people living with HIV. Our aim is to take a deeper and broader interest in HIV/AIDS than any company has done before, and take a new approach to deliver effective and new HIV medicines as well as support communities affected by HIV. For more information on the company, its management, portfolio, pipeline and commitment, please visit www.viivhealthcare.com.

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