R01AI152721

Quantification of HIV Burden and the Biomedical, Structural, and Behavioral Factors Influencing HIV/AIDS Among Children and Young Adolescents - Project Summary/Abstract

HIV/AIDS is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children and adolescents, and it is well recognized that HIV care and treatment among children (birth to 9 years) and young adolescents (10-14 years) lags behind that of adults, leading to numerous calls to action.

Despite a global consensus toward eliminating new HIV infections in these age groups, assessing progress against targets is impeded, as current estimates do not include substantial amounts of locally-available data. Additionally, new HIV infections in young adolescents have not been quantified.

The global HIV burden in these age groups is currently estimated by two groups: the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study and UNAIDS, both of which currently assume no new HIV infections for those under 15. Both groups use the Spectrum Child model, which relies largely on estimated HIV prevalence among adult women, treatment for prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and other assumptions to estimate the HIV burden among children and young adolescents. One of the assumptions is that new HIV infections among those under 15 come from only one source – mother-to-child transmission – assuming no sexual activity and zero HIV incidence in young adolescents.

In addition to behavioral factors, evidence shows that the risk of HIV transmission is influenced by biomedical factors (e.g., HIV testing rates, antiretroviral therapy coverage) and structural factors (e.g., national wealth, access to education, health care quality and access). However, there has been no systematic study of the impact of these factors on the trajectory of the HIV epidemic. Given the complexity of the epidemic and the interplay of contributing factors, additional data and analyses are needed to understand the relative impact of these factors.

Developing methods to triangulate newly acquired data sources is crucial to enhancing understanding of the drivers of the epidemic, and to generating more robust HIV burden estimates for children and adolescents. Accordingly, the goal of this study is to address the limitations of existing methods by triangulating empirical data sources to produce more accurate and comprehensive estimates of pediatric HIV burden, including an understanding of how biomedical, behavioral, and structural factors impact the burden among children and adolescents.

Our proposal advances beyond existing work by providing the first-ever estimates of new HIV infections among young adolescents, and by incorporating these results into an interactive visualization platform to help key stakeholders understand the current and projected future burden of HIV/AIDS among children and adolescents under different scenarios.

This project is comprised of four specific aims:
(1) Incorporate currently unused data sources to estimate mother-to-child transmission and HIV burden among children (0-9 years).
(2) Estimate new infections among young adolescents (10-14 years).
(3) Quantify the impact of biomedical, behavioral, and structural factors on HIV transmission probabilities and mortality among children and young adolescents.
(4) Forecast future burden of HIV among children and adolescents through 2040 based on current trends in incidence, prevalence, and mortality, and exposure to risk and protective factors.

University Of Washington

TO ASSIST PUBLIC AND PRIVATE NONPROFIT INSTITUTIONS AND INDIVIDUALS TO ESTABLISH, EXPAND AND IMPROVE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND RELATED AREAS, TO CONDUCT DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH, TO PRODUCE AND TEST RESEARCH MATERIALS. TO ASSIST PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO CONDUCT DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH, TO PRODUCE AND TEST RESEARCH MATERIALS, TO PROVIDE RESEARCH SERVICES AS REQUIRED BY THE AGENCY FOR PROGRAMS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES, AND CONTROLLING DISEASE CAUSED BY INFECTIOUS OR PARASITIC AGENTS, ALLERGIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC DISEASES AND RELATED AREAS. PROJECTS RANGE FROM STUDIES OF MICROBIAL PHYSIOLOGY AND ANTIGENIC STRUCTURE TO COLLABORATIVE TRIALS OF EXPERIMENTAL DRUGS AND VACCINES, MECHANISMS OF RESISTANCE TO ANTIBIOTICS AS WELL AS RESEARCH DEALING WITH EPIDEMIOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS OR COMMUNITY POPULATIONS AND PROGRESS IN ALLERGIC AND IMMUNOLOGIC DISEASES. BECAUSE OF THIS DUAL FOCUS, THE PROGRAM ENCOMPASSES BOTH BASIC RESEARCH AND CLINICAL RESEARCH. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM EXPANDS AND IMPROVES PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. THE SBIR PROGRAM INTENDS TO INCREASE AND FACILITATE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. THE SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM STIMULATES AND FOSTERS SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. RESEARCH CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTISTS DURING THE FORMATIVE STAGES OF THEIR CAREERS. INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARDS (NRSAS) ARE MADE DIRECTLY TO APPROVE APPLICANTS FOR RESEARCH TRAINING IN SPECIFIED BIOMEDICAL SHORTAGE AREAS. IN ADDITION, INSTITUTIONAL NATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE AWARDS ARE MADE TO ENABLE INSTITUTIONS TO SELECT AND MAKE AWARDS TO INDIVIDUALS TO RECEIVE TRAINING UNDER THE AEGIS OF THEIR INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAM.

93.855 - Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) [HHS - NIH]

Seattle, Washington 981951016 United States

Single Zip Code

Harnessing Big Data to Halt HIV (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) (PAR-18-764)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 423% from $696,696 to $3,642,543.