Press Release: Chinese Government and Clinton Foundation to Deliver Care and Treatment to Children with HIV/AIDS

President Bill Clinton signed an agreement today with the Ministry of Health (MOH) of the People's Republic of China to deliver treatment to two hundred children with HIV/AIDS in China.

“I am pleased to announce that my Foundation will donate an initial supply of pediatric medicines so that China can begin treating children with HIV/AIDS,” President Clinton said.

This donation is one component of the Foundation's larger partnership with the MOH, officially launched on April 29, 2004, to provide high-quality care and treatment for all Chinese HIV/AIDS patients who need it.

In 2003, China, through its Four Frees and One Care policy, committed to make free antiretroviral medicines available to all rural and poor urban individuals who need it, including children. However, most young children are too small for the adult medication dose or they have trouble swallowing the pills. Meanwhile pills for adults should not be broken or ground, because the ingredients of the medicine are not uniformly distributed and children may not get the appropriate dose. Pharmaceutical companies produce pediatric syrups or smaller dose pills for nearly all antiretroviral medications. However, up until now drug companies either have not registered children?s formulations in China, or if they have registered, they have yet to sell their drugs in China.

The MOH remains committed to treating children with HIV/AIDS despite this market gap. There are already 200 children estimated to be eligible for treatment. To help support the MOH in bridging this need, the Clinton Foundation is donating a one-year supply of drugs to begin treatment for these children until the Chinese government, international partners, and the pharmaceutical marketplace can establish the supply chain for pediatric formulations. “I am proud that we will have been able to play our small part in jumpstarting what will be an ongoing system of care the Chinese government is building for children with HIV/AIDS,” said President Clinton.

Also today, the Clinton Foundation announced that a fellowship program to recognize physicians who commit to treating HIV/AIDS patients in underserved areas is going to be created with China's Ministry of Health. Under this Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Service Fellowship, the Foundation will offer incentives, training and support to reward the expert physicians, especially from key academic medical centers and hospitals in China, who go to the affected towns and villages not only to treat patients in need, but also to train and inspire local clinicians.

“Not only are we acting today to put children on equal footing with adults, we are also working to help China reach its goal of delivering high quality, comprehensive and integrated care and treatment services for patients with HIV/AIDS on a wide scale. I look forward to continuing to cooperate on a full range of HIV/AIDS care and treatment throughout our partnership,” President Clinton said.

Since it began working in China in April, 2004, the Clinton Foundation has provided technical support in drafting the government's “Free ARV Manual” for citizens. Other Clinton Foundation activities in China include work on a national training planning; supporting clinical sites and providing technical assistance in the provinces; laboratory technical assistance; technical assistance in monitoring and evaluation; exchanges and other educational programs between Chinese healthcare providers and HIV/AIDS treatment experts from around the world; and addressing treatment needs of special populations, such as intravenous drug users. The Clinton Foundation is also working closely with Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), the National Center for AIDS/STD Prevention and Control, and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in carrying out their activities.

The Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative is at work in the Caribbean, Africa, India and China to bring care and treatment to people with HIV/AIDS. The Foundation has helped reduce the cost of AIDS drugs and diagnostic tests by between 50 and 90 percent, making care and treatment much more affordable for the developing world.

By the end of the first quarter of 2005, it is estimated that more than 110,000 people in the world will be on ARV treatment using drugs and/or tests purchased at the low prices obtained through the Clinton Foundation's agreements, with 80,000 of them being treated under plans the Foundation has helped partner countries develop and implement.

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