Medical Care for Children in Nepal with HIV/AIDS

At the New Life Center in Kathmandu, 84 HIV-infected 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.

While 53 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 sessions on nutrition and reproductive health. They also offer guidance on caring for their infected children once they returned home.

This comprehensive care model is a key to the Center’s success. Most children arrive with full-blown AIDS, including illnesses such as tuberculosis, malnutrition, and hepatitis, and return home with only HIV, ready to go to school and enjoy a happy childhood. If kids with HIV live hygienically, eat a nutritious diet, and try to avoid infections, they can typically expect to lead full and meaningful lives for around 25 years. By that time, it’s likely that additional treatments will be available to extend their lives even further. Most of the children don’t even need to take anti-retroviral drugs, which are difficult for people in rural and remote areas to obtain.

The New Life Center’s staff strives to find innovative ways to improve the livelihoods of their patients. For example, they planted a small vegetable garden and formed a partnership with Heifer International which contributed a few cows. These provide nutritious organic vegetables and fresh milk to the mothers and children at the Center.

Thank you for supporting these vulnerable children.

Namaste!

Links:

• Nepal Youth Foundation