New Tools to Strengthen Diagnosis and Management of Serious Bacterial Infections in Children with Advanced HIV Disease

Children living with advanced HIV disease (AHD) face a heightened risk of serious bacterial infections (SBIs), including severe pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis, among others, which remain leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Early recognition and timely treatment are critical, yet frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) often face challenges in rapidly diagnosing and managing these infections, particularly in resource-constrained settings.

To help address this gap, the THRIVE project has developed a new set of simplified clinical tools designed to support HCWs in identifying and managing SBIs among children with AHD. Developed collaboratively by CHAI and Penta, these materials have been added to the AHD Toolkit available here. 

Five New Tools to Support Frontline Clinical Decision-Making 

The new SBI materials include five practical resources designed to simplify diagnosis, guide antibiotic use, and strengthen clinical and post discharge management for children with AHD.

The resources include: 

• A decision matrix to support initial assessment and early decision making in children with AHD presenting with SBIs.

• Clinical job aids for the diagnosis and management of: 

  • Sepsis

  • Bacterial pneumonia

  • Bacterial meningitis

• An introductory training deck designed to support orientation and didactic training of HCWs on SBI recognition and management.

Together, these tools are designed to be practical, easy to use, and adaptable across countries implementing the STOP AIDS package of care for AHD. Developed through close collaboration across the THRIVE consortium, they translate clinical evidence into clear, user-friendly resources that support frontline HCWs in real time, strengthening the diagnosis and management of SBIs and improving outcomes for children living with AHD.

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Through the generous support of Unitaid, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI)-led THRIVE Project is enabling access to critical prevention, screening, and treatment commodities for advanced HIV disease to dramatically reduce mortality among adults and children living with HIV. The THRIVE project is conducted in partnership with Afrocab and Penta.  

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 Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of CHAI and Penta and do not necessarily reflect those of Unitaid or other partners.