WE-ACTx developed pediatric AIDS care and a family based support program in 2005, Medical care is made possible through the generous and on-going support of the Keep a Child Alive (KCA) Foundation, for the continuous operation of the Keep a Child Alive Center of Excellence Icyuzuzo Clinic. The family support program was made possible by a two-year grant from the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Recently, we received a very generous donation from Madonna’s Ray of Light Foundation to continue and expand our services to children and families. We currently support and provide care to over 600 HIV+ children and adolescents in our three clinics, providing comprehensive pediatric care in the context of their family care – at the same sites and at the same time as their mothers or caregivers receive their own HIV care. The support program includes monitoring of HIV status, monitoring of anti-retroviral therapies and importantly, concomitant monitoring of mental health status. Each HIV+ child receiving care in our programs receives a home assessment prior at the time of initiating. These home visits allow us to assess the therapeutic environment, anticipate potential barriers to treatment adherence and thusth thus to provide a supportive foundation and individualized care plan for each child. Finally, the Family Program also includes a weekly support group for these children. The support group includes a healthy meal (a large majority of the children are nutritionally depleted or are at risk of serious nutritional deficit) and transportation to the support group. The activities of the support group are appropriate to the age of the child; for example, older children engage in ongoing discussion of HIV, HIV care, and the implications of HIV disease for their future. There are special groups for adolescents who have been abused. Younger children enjoy organized playtime, sports and have some access to child life and art therapy. With support from the Ray of Light Foundation and dedicated professional Yoga instructors, WE-ACTx now offers Yoga classes to the kids, families, and staff of WE-ACTx.
Clinical goals for these children include the provision of state of the art HIV medical care which includes full access to ARV therapy, to reverse disease progression. ongoing medical monitoring, and all medically indicated prophylaxis and treatment of opportunistic infections and other co-morbidities. We have learned from our two years of experience in assessing HIV affected children within their home environments, that 20% of the children in the program will exhibit signs of serious depression and/or PTSD, and we therefore also provide psychological monitoring and care.
Women's Equity in Access to Care & Treatment