Caring For Children
As UK health care professionals, we will never see the numbers of HIV-related patients that are seen in South Africa. Our expertise lies in our practical, longitudinal experience of working with HIV-positive children and antiretroviral medication. All our volunteers are senior health care workers with a minimum of 3 years paediatric, HIV experience. Most volunteers, however, have over 5 years experience; many more than 10.
The challenges we face in treating children
- Identifying children for testing
- Starting antiretroviral therapy
- Adherence to medication
- Disclosure of diagnosis
- Nutrition
- Adolescents
- Psychological issues
Identifying children for testing
Fear of stigma and discrimination and the disease itself prevent many parents having their children tested in a timely manner.
Starting antiretroviral therapy
Considerations for starting therapy in children are complex and different to adults. These include:
- Criteria for starting treatment
- Paediatric drug preparation
- Changing drug doses with growth
- Adherence to treatment
- Family social support systems
Adherence to medication
Poor adherence contributes to the progression of AIDS and multidrug resistance.
Parents and caregivers have primary responsibility for their children’s medication-taking but lack of availability, severe side effects and ill health of care giver may all contribute to poor adherence.
Disclosure of diagnosis
Many parents and caregivers are reluctant to talk to their children about health issues.
Nutrition
Caregivers need to manage the interactions between antiretrovirals, food and nutrition to ensure optimum drug efficacy, food consumption and nutrient utilisation.
Adolescents
Adolescents encounter new dimensions to challenges to treatment including psychosocial issues, adherence, drug resistant and side effects.
Psychological issues
Many children infected with HIV not only have to grapple with their own health issues but are also coming to terms with the death of parents and caregivers.
