The Banter Board

In the past, it was overlooked that children can be sick with AIDS-related illnesses; the focus was on adults hence the delay in the availability of antiretroviral treatment (ART) for children. For a long time, antiretroviral drugs were available for adults only and not for children. However, it was realized that children get sick because of AIDS and that many have died as a result, and even more would die without access to proper treatment and management of the disease in their bodies.

A child may get infected by their mother during childbirth, if the mother does not know her HIV status and therefore does not take preventive measures to protect her baby before, during and after delivery. Some pregnant women do not go to the clinic for ante-natal care while expecting and instead rely on traditional medicine. Most of these women deliver their babies at home, sometimes with the assistance of community midwives, and in the process infect their children unknowingly. Sometimes children get infected when they take care of their sick parents or relatives who may be sick because of AIDS.

There are several ways to help children and orphans of AIDS in Africa.

· Food Provision -

Many children in Africa are malnourished because of hunger. The situation becomes worse for sick children who have to eat in order to take their medication. They cannot take their medication on empty stomachs. Unlike adults they cannot go out and look for food on their own instead they rely on adults to feed them. But hunger has affected the whole population be it a child or adult. Adults are more able to look for food than children. Good nutrition is a necessity for children in Africa, as some have died of hunger. Good nutrition is even more necessary for sick children.

· Health Care Provision -

African children have died of preventable diseases because they could not access proper health care. Government budgets have been stretched to accommodate the situation caused by HIV/AIDS but because of corruption and unaccountability by officials, governments are still unable to provide the necessary healthcare, especially for children. Some African countries have at least one pediatric hospital whilst others do not even have qualified pediatricians within their main hospitals and this leaves a lot to be desired with regards to child care. Because medicines and medical supplies are limited in many African hospitals, children may not be well catered for there. Instead, they are left in the care of their parents because they cannot be admitted in hospitals even if they need to be because there is very little that can be done for them in hospital.

· Care, Love & Support -

All sick children including AIDS orphans in Africa need care, love and support. For sick children in Africa, this need is even greater because more often than not, that sick child has no parents. These sick children need someone to remind them to take their medication on time, make sure there is food for them and make the necessary hospital check ups in line with their treatment. Some of them especially those with AIDS, may be close to death and all they need is some love. If these children have some love and are well taken care of, they may concentrate on getting better and will recover well and go on to live fruitful lives.

Providing them with shelter or a home where they can get all the attention and care from people who really care and are patient with them, would go a long way. Some of them may not understand why they are sick and some parents cannot take good care of their sick children so others who may understand can make the children’s lives easier.

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