A study on the challenges faced by children infected with HIV: the case of children on the SOS children’s villages community outreach programme (Glen View, Glen Nora and Budirio)

Abstract

The aim of the study was to establish the challenges faced by HIV infected children. The objectives of the study were to ascertain health, education and psychosocial needs and problems of children infected with HIV, to establish how children infected with HIV are benefiting and helped to cope through the SOS Children’s Villages outreach community program and to find out the challenges faced by SOS Children’s Villages in providing services to HIV infected children. The study was carried out in three high density suburbs in Harare. Thirty four children infected with HIV and seven key informants formed the respondents. The responses generally show that the needs of HIV children infected include access to basic food, health fees assistance, and school fees assistance, access to counselling and support group services and clothing. The major problems that the child participants noted included continued ill health, drug shortages, limited access to psychosocial support services such as counselling services, stigma and discrimination and anxiety about what will happen in the future. It was recommended that collaborative efforts be strengthened between relevant government ministries, and non state actors to ensure increased availability of basic food and other services such as drugs, school fees and psychosocial support services so as to meet fully the needs of HIV infected children and promote their growth. Other recommendations include improved linkages and networking of all partners in HIV/AIDS service provision so as to ensure complimentary service provision thereby avoiding duplication of activities to the same target population. These among many other issues are discussed in the dissertation.