By Robin Woodland | Director of Development and Communications
Living with the complicated regimes of antiretroviral treatments is a challenge for anyone affected by HIV-AIDS. For the impoverished HIV-infected children in Nepal, the expensive treatment can be simply out of reach.
At the New Life Center in Kathmandu, 88 children – half-younger than five – last year received not only treatment and medical care, but also psychological counseling and an appropriate diet. Center staff also took the children on outings and celebrated holidays and festivals to make certain that joy was a part of their lives. New Life Center has treated 400 children and educated 356 mothers since Nepal Youth Foundation began the program in 2006.
While 65 children were returned home in stable health, readmission is very high because the children’s health often deteriorates rapidly once they return to homes without appropriate living conditions or nutritious food.
To help families take care of their children, counselors educate mothers and caretakers in a series of 48 sessions on nutrition and reproductive health. They also offer guidance on caring for their infected children once they returned home.
Some children do not have a home to return to. Four children at the center last year lost their parents to AIDS. Since it is a transitional center, staff found permanent homes for them. Our staff reports that they are adjusting well and have made many new friends.
Thank you for supporting these vulnerable children.
Namaste.
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