FXB Foundation - The FXB Center and FXB Chair in Pediatric Community Care, Rutgers University (USA)

A PIONEERING COMMITMENT TO THE FIGHT AGAINST PEDIATRIC AND PERINATAL HIV

In 1997, a family care center dedicated to HIV, infectious diseases and immunological disorders was founded at the University of New Jersey by James Oleske and Mary Boland.

In the early 1990s, the FXB Foundation, founded and chaired by Albina du Boisrouvray, provided generous funding to improve local clinical services and expand the center's expertise in the face of the burgeoning HIV pandemic.

In recognition of this support, the facility was renamed the Centre François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) and launched the International Training Program (FXB-PFI) in its wake. This pioneering program was one of the first to train healthcare providers worldwide in the care of HIV-infected pregnant women, as well as infants and children affected by perinatal transmission. The FXB Foundation also launched the FXB Chair in Pediatric Allergy and Infectious Diseases, awarded to Dr. James Oleske. In 1996, a second Chair in Pediatric Community Nursing was created.

From 1990 to 2000, this program (FXB-PFI) developed customized education and training for over 200 healthcare providers in 37 countries. FXB Center teams also provided in-country training for providers, and collaborated with national trainers to develop and implement HIV curricula and care support systems in 18 countries.

Since the beginning of the HIV epidemic, the FXB Center team has contributed to every major development in the field of pediatric and perinatal HIV, including the PACTG 076 protocol for PMTCT, the first antiretroviral treatment guidelines for children, the first international training program on pediatric HIV, and the first website of its kind dedicated to collecting, reviewing and sharing cutting-edge information on pediatric HIV with providers and consumers.

In 1997, the closure of United Hospital led to the transfer of the FXB Center to UMDNJ, where it became an affiliated center of the School of Nursing. In July 2013, now independent of financial support from the FXB Foundation, the FXB Center became part of the Rutgers School of Nursing, within the State University of New Jersey.