Management Caveats for Physicians caring For Children with HIV in Pakistan 2024
This booklet was planned in 2021 when two years had passed since establishment of two new pediatric ART Treatment Centers in Larkana District and we had received almost daily feedback on problems faced by newly inducted physicians on the ground which were not addressed adequately in existing reference materials.
As reference we had an excellent Manual on pediatric HIV care and treatment for district hospitals: addendum to the Pocket book of hospital care of children (WHO) (2011) which consolidated principles of IMNCI with HIV care. We also had the Consolidated Training Manual for Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Centers: A Guide for the Staff (commissioned by UNDP) (2018) which added more detail in perspective and knowledge.
We wanted to develop a short flip-through booklet where physicians dealing with children with HIV or pregnant women with HIV could use a problem-based approach to resolve their patients' medical needs. We also needed the booklet to reflect available diagnostic and treatment resources in most provincial program ART Treatment Centers and public sector hospitals and devise a functional system of identifying a 'sick' child and referring in a timely fashion to a higher center of care closest to the patient's place of residence. We hope that this product will be helpful and used daily in clinics for patient management.
This effort is dedicated to the beautiful children of Pakistan and remaining South Asia (Iran, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal) who are vulnerable to or living with HIV infection, their families who traverse various vertical programs for healthcare and, the dynamic HIV Program Physicians and Personnel who work hard to manage their patients well despite resource constraints.
Prof. Fatima Mir
Section Head, Paediatric Infectious Disease
The Aga Khan University
September 5, 2024
fatima.mir@aku.edu
Download the booklet .pdf here: 
Physicians Guide to Manage children with HIV.pdf
