Day care for children living with AIDS in resource limited settings.
Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. B10432)
Sims R, Eriki M, Awori M Jajja's Home Mildmay International, Kampala, Uganda
Issue : Care for children living with AIDS is not a priority in many resource limited settings, resulting in children dying prematurely, unnecessarily and in distress. Rehabilitation, in the form of holistic palliative care, can restore the health of many children to a point where they can benefit from anti-retroviral therapy if it is freely available. Description : Jajja's Home Day Care Centre for children living with AIDS provides in Kampala, Uganda holistic rehabilitative and terminal care for up to 100 children daily aged 0-18 yrs, who live within 20 kilometres of the Centre. Care is provided from Monday-Friday in 3 age related houses. Because the children are so sick, transport is provided to and from home. Care is given by an inter-disciplinary team of healthcare professionals and volunteers in PARTNERSHIP with the child's primary carer, who is given respite, support and training. Wider impact is achieved through community outreach programmes, where the partnership is with the local community, and by on site training where theory is uniquely linked to clinical practice. Lessons Learned : Partnering and training carers improves care in the homeDay care retains the children's roots and a sense of belonging in their communities97% of children referred are malnourishedCare, prophylaxis and early detection and treatment of opportunistic infections can be effective even in profoundly sick children with low CD4 counts (66% of referred children rehabilitated in 2003)Intensive rehabilitative residential care may be needed for some children and for training purposes. Recommendations : Day care programmes should be provided for children living with AIDSLow cost rural programmes should be replicatedTraining in caring for, and communicating with, children is in great demand and should be provided for healthcare professionals and others working with children living with AIDS.
Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Day Care, Health Resources, Voluntary Workers, Caregivers, CD4 Lymphocyte Count, Palliative Care, Counseling, Health Services, Health, Delivery of Health Care, Research, Health Planning, Uganda, United States, Child, Humans, therapy
