Children's Hospital AIDS Program

History of CHAP

CHAP began in 1985 when little was known about HIV/AIDS and many HIV-infected children usually died within a few years.

During the past two decades, our multidisciplinary team has helped CHAP become an international leader in HIV and AIDS care and clinical research. Research pioneered by our team and others, as well as the success of anti-viral drugs, has transformed the disease from a death sentence to a manageable condition.

Today, few children in the United States die of AIDS, and the transmission rate from mother to child is 1 percent.

Recently, pills combining two to three drugs have become available allowing some patients to take as little as one or two pills per day. Some medicines are available in liquid form for young children who cannot swallow pills.

Subspecialists in Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Hematology, Neurology, Psychiatry, Pulmonary and other areas are available to the team for further consultation.

A major goal of our program is to strengthen community care by consulting with primary care providers who work with pediatric HIV infection in community settings.

We provide services to both inpatients and outpatients.