The NYU CFAR Clinic in Kenya

As the HIV / AIDS epidemic continues to spread at an alarming rate, it is vital to support new and innovative projects. Read this PDF file and discover how you can be apart of NYU's CFAR Bomu Clinic project: The Bomu Clinic Expansion Project

The NYU Department of Infectious Diseases and Center for AIDS Research has been involved with international HIV research and treatment for 4 years. In 2004, we entered into a 5-year cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which provides Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) - funded antiretroviral (ARV) medications and services to persons attending our study sites in Kenya. The main focus of our research has been evaluating a low-cost alternative, a reverse transcriptase (RT) assay for viral load monitoring in patients initiating ARV treatment and for early infant HIV diagnosis.

Our primary study and treatment site is the Bomu Medical Centre (BMC). BMC provides quality care in family planning, general medical care, antenatal care and since, 2004, HIV care to the urban poor living in Mombasa. BMC has decades of experience in work with community organizations and outreach groups who provide a vast network of community health workers to support their rapidly expanding HIV services.

Through the NYU-BMC initiative, they have initiated ARV treatment in approximately 1,200 patients (including children), provided palliative care (including ARV and non-ARV care) in over 3,000 patients, and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTC) services in 1,300 pregnant women. A new pediatric HIV program was initiated in 2005 and they now provide care to over 300 children. NYU was instrumental in integrating adult, pediatrics and OBGYN care; initiating a satellite clinic that is run by BMC to provide HIV care to patients living in more remote areas; and providing oversight in developing standard operating procedures in clinical and laboratory services. We have also provided construction funding through private fundraising to build 5 new floors of clinic and laboratory space at BMC.

For more information about the CFAR clinic in Kenya and the BOMU Clinic Expansion Project, please contact Sumathi Sivapalasingam, MD