Survivor: Africa Joins The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation To Highlight The Global HIV/AIDS Pandemic

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
Thursday, 3 January 2002

Mark Burnett, the executive producer of Survivor: Africa, has partnered with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation to highlight the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and the work the Foundation is doing to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. This ongoing commitment includes Mark Burnett joining the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Board of Directors, as well as fundraising activities that include the auction of props from the show on eBay following the series finale on Thursday, January 10. In addition, the CBS Television Network incorporated the Foundation's critical international work into the January 3rd episode of Survivor: Africa, and has committed to air PSA's created by Survivor/CBS for the Foundation throughout the year during its primetime programming.

"During the filming of Survivor: Africa, I witnessed the extreme devastation of the HIV/AIDS epidemic firsthand," remarked executive producer Mark Burnett. "I was immediately compelled to take action on this crisis and proceeded to discuss with my staff the best way in which we could directly help the people most affected. Jeff Probst introduced me to the work being done by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatrics AIDS Foundation to reduce mother-to-child transmission and immediately knew this was a partnership I wished to pursue. I am proud that "Survivor: Africa" has been able to raise awareness of the Foundation's critical international efforts, and am honored to join their Board of Directors."

"When Mark Burnett first contacted the Foundation to discuss his thoughts on HIV/AIDS in Africa and what needed to be done, it was clear that he was passionate about improving the situation in Africa, so passionate in fact, that we asked him to join our board," said Kate Carr, President and CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. "More than 800,000 children continue to become infected with HIV/AIDS each year. Through our international program to prevent mother-to-child-transmission of HIV and supporters like Mark Burnett and CBS President and CEO Leslie Moonves, we are ensuring that thousands of babies around the world are given a chance to be born free of HIV. The visibility that the Survivor partnership brings to the Foundation through the airing of PSA's and the inclusion of our work in an episode of Survivor: Africa is helping us to spread the word about our work. Mark's talent, vision and passion will be a huge asset to our board."

A Life-Altering Journey

The January 3rd episode of Survivor: Africa, featured a life-altering journey for one lucky participant, Lex van den Berghe. After winning a Chevy Avalanche truck in the reward challenge, Survivor: Africa host Jeff Probst congratulated Lex on his victory and informed him that they would be taking a cargo of medical supplies to a hospital in his new truck. Lex and Jeff then began the arduous ride to Kenya's Wamba Catholic Hospital for a first-hand look at the HIV/AIDS crisis and its devastating effect in Africa. Lex brought with them a much-needed supply of HIV test kits and doses of the drug nevirapine. The test kits enable a pregnant mother to be tested for the virus, and if positive, nevirapine is given in a single dose to the mother at the onset of labor and in a single dose to the baby in its first three days of life. The drug course reduces the transmission of HIV to the newborn baby by almost 50%. The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is working with Wamba Hospital to create a sustainable program to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

"CBS Cares" Airs Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation PSA's

In conjunction with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation/Survivor: Africa partnership, the CBS Television Network has been airing PSA's created by Survivor/CBS for the Foundation during their primetime programming since October, 2001. The spots, which feature Survivor: Africa host Jeff Probst (who serves as a spokesperson for the Foundation's college outreach program Caring for Kids 101), direct viewers to the Foundation's website www.pedaids.org. CBS will continue to air these PSA's during the network's primetime schedule throughout 2002.

Survivor Memorabilia To Be Auctioned

Following the finale of Survivor: Africa, props and memorabilia from the show will the auctioned on eBay. All proceeds will benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

About The Foundation's International Program

The Foundation initiated an international program to help reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV in the developing world in 1999. The project allows international health care sites, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations to apply for funds that will help implement programs to prevent MTCT of HIV. It also provides funding for community mobilization and training of health care workers, HIV counseling and testing, antiretroviral prevention regimens, and infant feeding education. The Foundation's program is also responsible for monitoring and evaluating their success. To date the Foundation has sites in over 70 locations and in 12 countries.

About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is the leading worldwide nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying, funding, and conducting pediatric HIV/AIDS research as well as promoting global education, awareness and compassion about HIV/AIDS in children. In addition, the Foundation is committed to working on other serious and life threatening diseases facing children through the newly created Glaser Pediatric Research Network. The Network brings together five of the nation's pre-eminent academic medical centers in an unprecedented collaboration that will accelerate better treatments for seriously ill children, help train the next generation of pediatric clinical investigators, and serve as a united voice to advocate policies that improve children's health worldwide. Since 1988, the Foundation has raised more than $130 million to ensure that children are at the forefront of every scientific breakthrough.

For more information, or to contact Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, see their website at: www.pedaids.org