Health and social services to address the Health and social services to address the needs of orphans and other vulnerable needs of orphans and other vulnerable children in the context of HIV/AIDSchildren in the context of HIV/AIDS

Research report and recommendationsResearch report and recommendations

Presented at PHRC29 May 2003

By Sonja GieseChildren’s Institute

University of Cape Town

Background

• 6.5 million people in SA infected with HIV (2002)• 3.2 million women between ages of 15-49 (2002)• 70% HIV-infected population in stages 1 and 2 • Estimated 150 000 children lost mother to AIDS in 2002• South Africa currently has close to 1 million children

who have lost a mother• Experts1 predict that this figure will double by 2010 and

peak in 2015

1 Centre for Actuarial Research, UCT

Aim of the research

To develop a set of recommendations to support and inform an appropriate health, social services and education response to the needs of orphans and other vulnerable children in the context of HIV/AIDS, which promote the realisation of their basic rights to survival, protection, development and participation, and do not compound their vulnerability.

Objectives

• To develop an understanding of the health and social needs and living contexts of orphans, children at risk of becoming orphans, and of their caregivers, with specific emphasis on issues related to accessing health, social development and education services.

• To review the extent to which these services were meeting the needs of OVC in contexts of HIV/AIDS

• To integrate literature and research into the drafting of the research report and recommendations

Methodology

• Multi-site (6) qualitative research project• 5 of South Africa’s 9 Provinces• Participants:

– Children (who had been orphaned or who were living with a sick/dying caregiver)

– Caregivers of these children– Service providers– Other informants

• Sought to understand the life experiences of children and their caregivers and the factors that impact positively or negatively on support seeking behaviour, service access and service delivery

Phuthaditjhaba

Cato Crest

Umzimkulu

Tzaneen

Ingwavuma

Gugulethu

Vuyo17

Grade 6X

Richard19X

Tebogo15

Grade 4X

Kenneth12

Grade 2X

Sara8

Grade 1X

Tefo4X

Zama17

Grade 9

Jo9

Grade 1

Precious3X

Mathilda David SusanDied

25/6/01

NthathiDied 1/8/01

Ester30

Maria

29X

Meshack

27X

Tiko18X

Sisi

Ma Ramogae66 years old

Oldest Age Youngest

Moved with their mother into the household after she became very ill

Relatives live nearby and support the household

Moved into the household after the death of their mother

Lived with their grandmother since their father died and their mother remarried

Key health-related issues• Hunger / Malnutrition major concern of

children, caregivers and service providers• Children as carers for the sick (paucity of HBC

and palliative care services)• Children’s exposure to opportunistic infections

through living in HIV-affected household• Health workers unclear on what to do about

unaccompanied children attending health facilities

Health-related issues cont.• Access to preventative services problematic for

young children in the care of elderly eg. EPI• HIV-infected children - not seen as a major

problem, or adequately dealt with at 1o level, major concern at 3o

• Paucity of VCT services for children • Mental health needs of children experiencing

death and dying largely ignored – ongoing support needed as with adult support groups

“We are not trained at all to counsel children and would find it very difficult. We are really not sure how to do it. We are also so concerned that if we counsel an 11 year old, for example, there would be no support for that young person when they go home”

VCT counselor

Health-related issues cont.

• Free health care for children – issues related to health user fees (particularly where hospital is nearest facility)

• Relationship between health workers and home-and community-based carers – strengthen health outreach services and ensure continuity of care

• Opportunities for the identification and referral of vulnerable children through health care facilities

• Commitment of health workers and need for support

Key social development issues

• Lack of capacity of social workers striking – not reaching most vulnerable

• Emphasis of their work on processing foster care placements with very little time / capacity for addressing other areas of need

• Insufficient poverty alleviation mechanisms with reliance on foster care grant to address poverty – problematic

• Number of grant related issues which need to be addressed

Social development cont.

• Residential care as a knee-jerk response to “orphans”, extended use of existing facilities

• Relationship between social workers and home-and community-based carers / health workers – not able to provide professional support required

Key education-related issues

• OVC experience similar problems to other children in terms of accessing education eg. school fees and uniforms, hunger

• Some additional issues include:– Increased responsibilities for care of younger siblings /

sick adults and for income earning– Psychosocial impact on children affected school

attendance and performance– Increased mobility– Stigma and discrimination etc..

Education cont

• Teachers often fail to recognise or respond appropriately to the vulnerabilities of children experiencing orphanhood

• Examples of good practice show potential for the positive role of schools in identifying and supporting vulnerable children eg. extended school based feeding schemes, collaborative efforts – schools as nodes of care and support

• Universal precautions not widely available in schools eg. gloves, first aid kits

Some key recommendations

• Putting children first – ensure presence on agendas

• Recognising process of orphanhood• Addressing orphanhood within the context

of other childhood vulnerabilities (poverty)• Adopting needs-based versus category-

based response – non targeted (implications of targeting)

Key recommendations cont

• Supporting care arrangements – in order to ensure the sustainability of social safety net through course of pandemic (poor caring for poor is unsustainable)

• Maximise opportunities within existing service infrastructure eg. HBC and schools

• Increased financial and human resources in social sector

Key recommendations cont

• Facilitate and support collaboration – common denominator in successful initiatives across research sites eg. social workers in school clusters, school nurses, HBC teams.

• Reduce burden of orphans on services through provision of treatment, care and support to adult caregivers

• The opportunity that HIV/AIDS presents for strengthening service delivery.

Full research report and recommendations available

Thank you.