%0 Journal Article
%T Sociocultural Issues As Barriers To Hiv-infected Orphan Care in Southern Africa - Sociocultural Issues As Barriers To Hiv-infected Orphan Care in Southern Africa - Open Access Pub
%A Alexandra Kissling
%A Corinne Lehmann
%A Lisa M. Vaughn
%A Seth Langsam
%J OAP | Home | Journal of Clinical Research In HIV AIDS And Prevention | Open Access Pub
%D 2018
%X As advances in treatment and prevention are starting to decrease the magnitude of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa, the number of orphans and children surviving Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is growing. To date, little research has been conducted in the care of HIV-infected children in orphanages in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this qualitative study, managing personnel in 10 programs caring for HIV-infected children were interviewed to ascertain perceived barriers to care of these children. While all programs commented on medical infrastructure barriers, respondents felt sociocultural issues were more pressing. After analysis of transcribed interviews, three major themes of poverty, denial/stigma, and cultural differences with outsiders emerged. These findings have implications for international programs that both serve and seek to serve the needs of HIV-infected children and orphans in Africa. Outside funding organizations will need to address local poverty, stigma, and African ˇ°ownershipˇ± of HIV-positive orphans to ultimately ensure the best care of these vulnerable children. DOI 10.14302/issn.2324-7339.jcrhap-13-239 ˇ°No child should be born with HIV; no child should be an orphan because of HIV; no child should die due to lack of access to treatment,ˇ± urged Ebube Sylvia Taylor, an 11-year-old born free of HIV, to world leaders gathered in New York to share news of the progress made toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 1. Sub-Saharan Africa has been unequally affected by the global AIDS epidemic. While the number of new HIV infections in adults decreased by 34% from 2001-2012, the number of adults living with HIV infection in Sub-Saharan Africa has increased due to expanded treatment programs 1. Of the 23 million HIV-infected adults and children living in Africa in 2011, 5.1 million adults were located in South Africa alone 2. In addition, efforts to prevent maternal-to-child transmission of HIV through expanded access to HIV treatment have led to a global decrease of new infections in children. However, as with adults, the number of children living with HIV has also increased worldwide from 1.8 million in 2001 to 3.3 million in 2011, when an estimated 460,000 HIV-infected children were living in South Africa 2. Orphanhood is commonplace for HIV-infected children in Sub-Saharan Africa. The plight of orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) in Africa has become the subject of much attention over the last several years, highlighted by the involvement of numerous international
%U https://www.openaccesspub.org/jcrhap/article/104