Children in Families Affected by the HIV Epidemic: A Strategic Approach
Author(s): E. Reid
This paper argues that the needs of young people start with the knowledge that someone in their family is infected. Moreover their needs are psychological, emotional, ethical, legal and spiritual. In order to secure the wellbeing of their children, parents need to be able to keep working, need to be assisted in planning for their and their children's future, and need access to treatment of opportunistic conditions which may lessen their ability to work and parent. The paper discusses five strategic elements that could improve the wellbeing of children in families affected by the HIV epidemic.
- In order to prepare children for the future, additional emphasis should be put on increasing access to testing for adults, promoting the continued employment of HIV infected adults and devising strategies for planning and passing on from their parents production skills to children.
- Special counselling services should be set up in order to minimize children's psychological and emotional trauma, and to assist with their education and development.
- More meetings should be arranged for families with HIV-infected children to ensure that parents are aware of their children's rights.
- The local and community planning services should focus on reaching the most vulnerable children and adolescents, e.g. street children and young women.
- A general strategy should be developed to bring about a change in attitudes and behaviour of the wider community with regards to HIV; for example an improvement in the socio-economic status of women is a critical factor in reducing the spread of the virus.
The paper concludes that the successful implementation of these strategic elements is dependent on the cooperation of local and national agencies to work together under the national policy network.