November 16, 2020

Texas Children’s, in partnership with Baylor College of Medicine, is saving the lives of children and women across the globe.

A network of physicians, fellows and residents provide much-needed clinical support as well as training and academic leadership to underserved communities in 18 nations in Africa, Romania, Papua New Guinea and Latin America. These global efforts began in 1999 with the creation of the Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative at Texas Children’s Hospital, also known as BIPAI.

Under the initiative, the first Children’s Clinical Center of Excellence opened its doors in Constanta, Romania. Today, there are 14 such centers and satellite centers in eight countries across the world. The care provided at these centers has saved a generation of young people with HIV/AIDS and has given BIPAI a model from which to expand its services to both children and women.

The series of stories you will see on Connect over the next few months will talk about why Texas Children’s started a global health program and why it is so important for us to maintain it, grow it and continue to support it.

The series will highlight our efforts in Malawi because members of the Corporate Communications team traveled there last summer to gather stories, video and photographs in order to better educate our internal and external audiences about our efforts overseas.

Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has stopped travel to these areas and many of the others we serve, but Texas Children’s remains dedicated to our global health efforts and still has many clinicians on the ground across the globe. We are moving forward with capital projects that were in the works prior to the pandemic and are offering support services in any and all ways possible both to help the people in these countries overcome the pandemic and to maintain the progress that’s been made in these areas over the past 20 years.

“It’s imperative we protect the gains we’ve made,” said Michael Mizwa, chief executive officer of BIPAI. “COVID-19 has the potential to wipe out years of work in areas where we are seeing significant gains. We cannot give up on the children and women in these countries now. They need us more than ever.”

Tune in next week to learn more about when, where and how Texas Children’s global health initiatives began and why they are making such a positive impact on the children and women they serve.

August 19, 2020

Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) at Texas Children’s Hospital lost one of its founding members August 11 with the passing of Dr. Peter Nicholas Kazembe. He was the founding executive director of Baylor-Malawi and served as director until his retirement in 2018.

Kazembe, often considered the “grandfather of pediatrics” in Malawi, made monumental contributions to the health of children and families in Malawi and beyond over his decades-long career. He was instrumental in the development of pediatrics as a specialty in Malawi. His collaborations and mentorship impacted the careers of thousands of doctors and health professionals, who now provide stellar pediatric care throughout Africa and beyond.

“Dr. Kazembe was a dedicated husband, father, leader, advocate, mentor, clinician educator, teacher and friend,” said Michael Mizwa, BIPAI chief executive officer. “I’m deeply saddened by his loss but know his legacy will live on in the work of many.”

Click here to listen to some of Kazembe’s colleagues talk about his loss and the significant contributions he made to pediatric health care in Malawi.

Kazembe’s legacy includes pioneering Malawi’s pediatric HIV/AIDS care, treatment and prevention programming; developing the country’s first HIV treatment guidelines; providing mentorship and education to countless health professionals; and collaboration with pediatricians and child health advocates all over the world.

Under his leadership, Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation-Malawi in a public private partnership with the Government of Malawi and Abbott Fund, built and operated the first stand-alone pediatric HIV clinic in Malawi and was the first non-government organization to provide antiretroviral therapy for children in Malawi, fast becoming the country’s largest provider of pediatric HIV care.

“The work and leadership of Dr. Kazembe has saved countless lives,” said Phoebe Nyasulu, executive director of BIPAI’s Center of Excellence (COE) in Malawi. “Without him, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

Kazembe’s contributions span clinical care, research, advocacy, policy, and education – and cross pediatric HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, neonatology, maternal and child health. Throughout his career, he developed long-lasting partnerships and deep friendships around the world that have blossomed and prospered and will continue to benefit the people of Malawi for decades to come.

“Dr. Kazembe was instrumental in the start of every single Texas Children’s global health program in Malawi,” said Dr. Susan Torrey, vice chair of the Global Health Steering Committee. “His leadership and vision have enabled Texas Children’s to expand care in Malawi to include cancer, cardiology, surgery, maternal health and emergency medicine, his support of which was instrumental in the successful emergency medicine collaboration between Texas Children’s and other organizations.”

Dr. Jeff Wilkinson, vice chair of Global Women’s Health with Baylor College of Medicine and director of Texas Children’s Global Women’s Health Program, said the impact Dr. Kazembe made during his lifetime on the people of Malawi, especially mothers and children, is invaluable.

“Pediatric and maternal care has advanced by leaps and bounds because of Dr. Kazembe’s efforts,” Wilkinson said, adding that more than 6,000 babies are now born each year at Area 25 Health Center, a public-private partnership between Baylor, Texas Children’s and the Malawi Ministry of Health. “The impact of his knowledge and dedication to pediatric and maternal health care will be felt for generations to come.”

In honor of Kazembe’s work, he will be posthumously awarded the American Academy of Pediatrics 2020 Hillman-Olness Award for lifetime service and lasting contributions to global child health. The award will be presented on October 5.

Established in 2011 in honor of the late Liz Hillman, the late Donald Hillman, and Karen Olness, the award recognizes individuals who have devoted their careers to advancing global child health. Among the numerous enduring legacies from Kazembe’s expansive career are the long-standing international and inter-institutional partnerships and collaborations that he forged, all of which continue to benefit the people of Malawi.

His collaborations and mentorship undoubtedly impacted the careers of thousands of doctors and health professionals, including numerous Fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAPs), who now provides stellar pediatric care all over Africa and the United States.

Ministry of Health Principal Secretary Dr. Charles Mwansambo said in The Nation, Malawi’s leading newspaper, that he will miss Kazembe at both national and personal levels.

“At a time when many Malawian doctors studying abroad, especially specialists, were opting to stay abroad and make money for themselves, Peter returned home to serve and save what he knew best: the children and his own countrymen. He was a passionate and selfless man.”

Anna Mandalakas, director of Texas Children’s Global Tuberculosis Program, said she is extremely fortunate to have known Kazembe and to have learned from the work he did that changed the lives of so many.

“I have been inspired not only by his work but by the kind, compassionate, and humorous person that he was,” Mandalakas said. “I have smiled so much thinking about him these past days.”

June 22, 2020

A new nine-bay labor and delivery ward at Area 25 Health Center in Lilongwe, Malawi, is providing women a private place to give birth, and clinical workers more space to deliver the same amount of babies per year born at the Pavilion for Women.

“This is a huge step forward for our patients and our clinicians,” said Dr. Jeffrey Wilkinson, vice chair of Global Health and professor, OB-GYN and director of the Global Women’s Health Program. “It falls right in line with our goal of providing the highest quality of care to the women and children we treat through our Global Women’s Health program.”

Formed in 2012, the program is a collaboration between Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation – Malawi and the Ministry of Health of Malawi. This public-private partnership leads the way in the development of transformative programs that benefit thousands of women and babies as well as scores of learners in low resource settings.

Women and children are disproportionately affected by lack of access to health care services, particularly in resource limited settings. Malawian women have some of the worst odds with 675 deaths per 100,000 live births – among the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world. By contrast, the ratio for US women is 14 deaths per 100,000 live births.

To improve these odds, the Global Women’s Health program has invested a lot of time and effort into expanding the quality and quantity of services offered at Area 25 Health Center, significantly alleviating the burden of increasing demand for maternal and neonatal services at Kamuzu Central Hospital (Lilongwe’s referral hospital) and Bwaila Maternity Hospital, the largest maternity unit in the region with 17,500 plus deliveries per year.

With the help of generous donors, a maternal waiting home, a four-room operating theater and now a new labor and maternity ward have been built to help clinicians, midwives and non-medical staff better serve the women and children of Malawi.

Each room in the new labor and delivery ward is equipped with a swinging door that leads out to a nurses’ station. One of the nine rooms has a private bath and shower. The other eight rooms share four private baths and showers, each with a sliding door for easy access.

Prior to opening the new ward, women at Area 25 were delivering their babies in a six-bed labor and delivery ward on beds lined up in one room and separated by only a curtain. Because of the cramped quarters, family members were not able to accompany or help their loves ones during delivery.

The new ward has enough space for one family member to be in the room during delivery, an accommodation that is somewhat unique in health care facilities across Malawi and sub-Saharan Africa. The old labor and maternity ward will be used for anti-labor, triage, admissions and evaluation of patients coming in for labor.

“This has been a transformational gift for the women and babies in this region,” said Dr. Ibe Iwuh, one of the OB-GYNs at Area 25. “It’s helped us not only provide high quality care to women but also to demonstrate the potential between a public-private partnership between a US academic institution, a US health care organization, and the Malawi Ministry of health.”

Dr. Chikondi Chiweza, one of the OB-GYNs at Area 25, said it’s very satisfying to see Area 25 become one of the busiest maternity wards in the area.

“Because of the waiting home, women who might have gone into labor far from a medical institution now have a safe place to wait during their last few weeks and days of pregnancy,” Chiweza said. “The operating theater has enabled us to take care of more complex patients, and the new maternity and labor ward will allow us to better meet the ever-growing demand of births and well-woman services.”

For more information about the Global Women’s Health program and Area 25, click here.

May 4, 2020

Michael Mizwa has been named Chief Executive Officer of Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Mizwa has served as the Chief Operating Officer and senior vice president of BIPAI since 2010. His vision and his strategic planning with BIPAI leaders throughout the network has resulted in the organization being internationally recognized for excellence in patient care, research and education.

Mizwa has 33 years of experience in non-profit HIV/AIDS prevention and social services and extensive experience globally in pediatric HIV/AIDS program development, administration and management, human resources development and government relations.

He has received numerous local, state, and national awards in HIV prevention and leadership, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s Price Fellowship in HIV Prevention Leadership for developing the first HIV/AIDS offender education training-of-trainers program throughout the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

“I know that you all join me in thanking Mike for accepting the position of CEO,” said BIPAI Board Chair Claire Bassett. “He has the full support of the BIPAI board and the leadership of Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital.”

Bassett added that everyone invested in BIPAI can take great pride in the advances that have been made since the organization began 20 years ago but there is still much to be done for the children and families in the BIPAI network.

For more information about BIPAI and the work they do for children and families across the globe, click here.

April 20, 2020

As Texas Children’s continues to navigate through these unprecedented times, our focus has been, and will continue to be, the health and safety of our patients and staff. Extra precautions have been taken and additional processes have been put in place to ensure we keep moving forward as a strong unit. But we know our responsibility reaches far beyond Houston and its surrounding areas. As a recognized leader in global health, Texas Children’s has worked diligently to create adaptive solutions for our clinics in sub-Saharan Africa, South America and Eastern Europe.

One of those solutions was rolled out this week in Malawi, Africa, at the Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Clinical Centre of Excellence-Malawi (COE) where children and young adults with HIV/AIDS are tested, diagnosed and treated. The InTouch Lite V2 (often referred to as ‘Lite’) device was deployed to the COE as part of our efforts to provide patient care during the COVID-19 crisis in sub-Saharan Africa by utilizing available resources.

This remote presence robot, which was donated to Texas Children’s Global Women’s Health program in Malawi by the World Telehealth Initiative in 2018, allows for remote monitoring of patients and can be maneuvered electronically at the bedside to assist in care delivery. The device will be used during in the upcoming months at the Baylor-Malawi COE to assist in patient care.

“The technology is amazing even with Malawi’s bandwidth challenges,” said Dr. Jeff Wilkinson, an accomplished female pelvic and reconstructive surgeon with Texas Children’s Global Women’s Health Program. “It removes the location barrier and allows us to provide expertise from afar when we can’t be on location.”

Wilkinson said he’s used the robot many times in the past at the Fistula Care Center and thinks it will be a great resource at the COE, especially during this unique time of need.

By deploying this resource for use at the COE, health care workers have the ability to interact with patients remotely to reduce transmission of the infection among their immunocompromised patient population. This quick adaption and working partnership between Texas Children’s and World Telehealth will allow the teams to continue safely providing the same high-quality care and treatment for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and malnutrition while limiting the spread of COVID-19.

Sharon Allen, executive director of World Telehealth Initiative, said the robot is connected to a proprietary worldwide network built and operated by InTouch Health and is ready to be used once she finishes training the physicians who will be accessing the machine to see patients. The training takes about 20 minutes and is indicative of just how easy the device is to operate, Allen said.

“After hitting just a few buttons – boom – you are right there,” she said. “And if there are any problems, we are here to help.

The mission of the World Telehealth Initiative is to provide medical expertise to the world’s most vulnerable communities to build local capacity and deliver core health services, through a network of volunteer health care professionals supported with state-of-the-art technology. Part of that mission is to ensure health care workers know how to use and deploy the technology.

“We are available to help in any way possible,” Allen said. “Our main goal is to connect medical experts with people who might not receive health care otherwise.”

Phoebe Nyasulu, Executive Director of BIPAI’s operations in Malawi, said she is looking forward to seeing the robot in action at the COE and believes the machine will help her staff protect themselves and their patients and families, many of whom are immunocompromised and possibly susceptible to COVID-19.

Malawi has seen an uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases over the past week, leading to a 21-day national lockdown. Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine are participating at national levels with local and regional leaders to shape policies aimed at curbing the impact of COVID-19 and protecting the work that’s already been done to strengthen their nations’ health care systems.

“The use of the robot Lite is one of many ways health care workers can continue to care for our patients in the safest way possible,” Nyasulu said. “We have to continue to be innovative and open to ideas like this as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 public health crisis. We are thankful we have partners like Texas Children’s, Baylor and the World Telehealth Initiative to help us along the way.”

April 7, 2020

While Texas Children’s employees work locally to keep COVID-19 at bay, members of our system’s global health team are working just as hard to keep the disease from spreading in areas that are far more vulnerable to the pandemic.

“Low- and middle-income countries in places like Africa and Latin America are already stressed and strained with weak health systems and vulnerable populations,” said Dr. Heather Haq, Chief Medical Officer for the Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric Aids Initiative (BIPAI) at Texas Children’s Hospital. “We will see devastating effects if COVID-19 becomes widespread in these areas.”

BIPAI at Texas Children’s Hospital is one of the largest global maternal and child health programs in the world with a presence across sub-Saharan Africa as well as Latin America and Romania. Our mission in these countries is the same as it is here in the United States – to care for sick children and women, and to educate more people to do the same.

Tremendous progress has been made in these communities over the years in the areas of HIV/AIDS cancer, tuberculosis, malaria, sickle cell disease and malnutrition; however much work needs to be done to ensure that COVID-19 does not undo these gains. Although the disease has yet to reach these areas in full force, it’s coming, and Texas Children’s and Baylor are standing ready to help fight its effects. Partnerships forged between Texas Children’s, government officials and local leaders are already helping forge a productive path forward in the face of this global crisis.

“We are extremely thankful for the continued commitment Texas Children’s and Baylor have to their global partners,” said Dr. Mogomotsi Matshaba, Executive Director of BIPAI’s operations in Botswana. “We need your expertise, guidance, moral support and financial assistance to get through this trying time.”

BIPAI at Texas Children’s Hospital is working around the clock to provide technical assistance and resources to help our global partners prepare for and respond to COVID-19 while maintaining access to essential services like continued access to antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV. The BIPAI network holds daily calls to discuss strategies to protect the health care workforce, contain the spread of COVID-19, and continue to serve patients. In addition, they hold weekly video conferences focused on pertinent clinical information on COVID-19 and have established a COVID-19 resource library for global sites.

Texas Children’s and Baylor also are participating at national levels with local and regional leaders to shape policies aimed at curbing the impact of COVID-19 and protecting the work that’s already been done to strengthen their nations’ health care systems.

“It’s imperative we protect the gains we’ve made,” said Dr. Adeodata Kekitiinwa, BIPAI’s Executive Director in Uganda. “COVID-19 has the potential to wipe out years of work in areas where we are seeing significant gains.”

HIV/AIDS is one of the areas where great strides have been made. A setback such as the spread of COVID-19 – the effects of which are not yet known in people living with HIV – could be detrimental. In addition, children who need care for ailments such as malaria and malnutrition might not get the services they need if travel is restricted in countries or if resources are diverted to help those with COVID-19. Compounding the issue is that resources for critical care are already scarce in these areas. Uganda, for example, has only 55 ventilators for the entire country – that’s one ventilator per 1.3 million people. Other countries have even fewer.

“Unfortunately, the severe shortage of critical care means that many people in these settings who get sick with severe COVID-19 disease will die, until advances are made in treatments or a vaccine becomes available,” said Haq.

Phoebe Nyasulu, Executive Director of BIPAI’s operations in Malawi, said the severity of the situation means that COVID-19 has to be faced head-on and that it needs to be looked at from a global lens versus a country-by-country issue.

“With the help of BIPAI, Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine, we are more confident we will be able to respond to COVID-19,” Nyasulu said. “We will get through this together.”

March 2, 2020

Members of Texas Children’s plastic surgery team have given 6-year-old Elvina Kolevi a chance at a new life after treating injuries she sustained during a burn when she was 2 years old. Watch ABC 13’s story about the little girl’s transformation.