CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (MAY 18, 2000) -- An unprecedented cross-section of Chicago’s religious leaders will gather today at an interfaith breakfast meeting to learn first-hand about the pediatric AIDS crisis in sub-Saharan Africa and how their congregations may help children living with HIV/AIDS through a new international program, God Bless the Child. Representatives of some 30 different theologies in the heartland of America will be asked to forge an historic partnership between communities of faith, HIV/AIDS-treating physicians, and a pharmaceutical industry leader to combat the AIDS crisis by providing a model program for the care and support of HIV-infected children in Africa.

God Bless the Child is a new initiative launched by the Chicago-based International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) in partnership with communities of faith; health professionals at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas; and Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana; and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company’s SECURE THE FUTURE™ initiative.

Communities of Faith Join Forces with Physicians and Industry Leader
IAPAC, the largest global organization of health care professionals specializing in HIV/AIDS, and The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), founded as the National Conference of Christians and Jews, are the breakfast meeting’s co-sponsors. Clergy members from 30 religious denominations are expected to attend the May 18 meeting (from 8-10 a.m., at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago’s Loop).

"The National Conference for Community and Justice has long worked to bring together people from different faith communities to address issues focusing on the common good. Today, we expand the universe of partnerships to include our colleagues in the medical community and pharmaceutical industry. By co-sponsoring this important event, the NCCJ is contributing toward a better life for countless children living with HIV/AIDS," said Rev. Stanley L. Davis, NCCJ’s Executive Director.

Among invited prominent religious leaders and representatives are: the Rev. Jesse Jackson (PUSH/Rainbow Coalition), the Hon. Minister Louis Farrakhan (The Nation of Islam), His Eminence Francis Cardinal George (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago), Rabbi Ira Youdovin (Chicago Board of Rabbis), The Very Rev. Archimandrite Demetri C. Kantzavelos (Greek Orthodox Diocese of Chicago), Bishop William Persell (Episcopal Diocese of Chicago), Rev. Paul Rutgers (Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago), Rev. Willie Taplin Barrow (Church of God), Bishop Joseph Sprague (United Methodist Church), Dr. Helen Bishop (Unitarian Universalist/ Midwest District), The Rev. Dr./Presiding Elder David C. Coleman, Jr. (American Methodist Episcopal Church-Chicago Conference), Asayo Horibe (Buddhist Council of the Midwest), The Most Rev.Timothy Lyne (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago), Imam W. Deen Mohammed (Muslim American Mission), Bishop Kenneth R. Olsen (Evangelical

Lutheran Church of America/Metropolitan Chicago Synod), The Rev. Jim Queen (Chicago Metropolitan Baptist Association), Presiding Elder Wilfred Reid (North District American Methodist Episcopal Church), The Rev. Dr. Robert C. Reynolds (Presbytery of Chicago), Dr. Talal Sunbulli (Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago), Ann Castleton (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints), Bishop Ocie Booker (Church of God in Christ), Rev. Dr. Clay Evans (Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church), The Rev. Dr. Leon Finney (Christ Church), Bishop Cody Marshall (Illinois Church of God in Christ), The Rev. B. Herbert Martin (Progressive Community Church), Rohinton Rivetna (Federation of Zorastrian Association of North America), Swami Varadananda (Vivekananda Vedanta Society), and James Yellowbank (Anawim American Indian Center).

"We have a moral obligation to work together and help children living in resource-limited settings and particularly those afflicted with preventable life-threatening diseases, including HIV/AIDS," said Jos˜ M. Zuniga, President of the 10,000 member-strong IAPAC. "Through God Bless the Child and this innovative partnership, we intend to provide children living with HIV/AIDS with the same level of care we in developed nations take for granted."

"Religious communities in developed countries have a strong interest to protect sick and vulnerable children living in impoverished surroundings," said Allen Freehling, Senior Rabbi at University Synagogue, in Los Angeles, California, and Chairman of IAPAC’s Board of Trustees. "God Bless the Child provides hope for the HIV-infected children of Africa by offering the missing support and care they desperately need."

Through God Bless the Child, communities of faith may "adopt" a child for US$1000, which will then be combined with professional care from community hospitals and pharmaceutical treatment funded by Bristol-Myers Squibb’s SECURE THE FUTURE initiative. Bristol-Myers Squibb has committed $5 million in funding for the program.

"God Bless the Child recognizes the infinite value of human life," stated Kenneth E. Weg, Vice Chairman, Bristol-Myers Squibb. "This innovative partnership will serve as a model for extending and enhancing the lives of children infected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and the developing world."

God Bless the Child seeks to raise an initial $250,000 from communities of faith to launch a program aimed at benefiting up to 500 Botswanan children living with HIV/AIDS. In turn, Bristol-Myers Squibb will match these funds with an additional $250,000 and the commitment to provide continuing access to anti-HIV drug therapy and care for each sponsored Botswanan child. In the months preceding today’s announcement, Rabbi Freehling’s University Synagogue committed initial funding in support of the program.

Botswana Model Program to Treat 500 Children with HIV/AIDS
Botswana is among the most affected African nations with up to 17 percent of its 1.5 million population estimated to be HIV positive. AIDS is the largest cause of death in Botswana with most deaths occurring among the young.

In the Botswana God Bless the Child pilot, Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana, and the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative at the Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas, will collaborate on the initiative. Each child will receive comprehensive care and support, including combination therapy with antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.

"Beyond providing care and support to meet the critical needs of children suffering from HIV/AIDS, this innovative initiative will also provide important insights into how to cost-effectively treat children with HIV/AIDS in resource-limited settings," said Dr. Mark Kline, Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Vice Chair of the IAPAC Board of Trustees.

Dr. Gabriel Anabwani of Princess Marina Hospital added, "This program will yield critical lessons in evaluating the feasibility of implementing an antiretroviral clinical trial and treatment program for HIV-infected infants and children in Botswana."

The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) is the largest global organization of healthcare professionals specializing in HIV/AIDS. With a membership of 10,000 physicians in 43 countries, IAPAC’s mission is to craft and implement global educational and advocacy strategies to better the quality of care provided to all people living with HIV/AIDS and other related diseases.

Baylor College of Medicine, among the top 15 U.S. medical schools, is dedicated to promoting health for all people through education, research and public service. Texas Children's Hospital, the largest pediatric hospital in the nation, provides medical care in more than 40 pediatric subspecialties and serves as the primary pediatric training site for Baylor.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company is a $20 billion diversified, global health and personal care company whose mission is to extend and enhance human life. SECURE THE FUTURE is a $100 million commitment by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company to provide care and support to women and children with HIV/AIDS in five southern African countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.

For more information about God Bless the Child and the International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC), visit www.iapac.org.

For more information about the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative, visit http://www.bayloraids.org.

Visit Bristol-Myers Squibb at www.bms.com

For more information, contact: Mike Glass, International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care, 312-795-4937; Bob Laverty, Bristol-Myers Squibb Public Affairs, 609-252-5732; Lori Williams, Baylor College of Medicine, 713-798-4712.