Health Care for 500 HIV+ Children in Zambia

Happy Mother’s Day. On this Mother’s Day, let's pledge to make health care accessible to all children irrespective of where they live. The United Nations has set goals to end poverty, ensure healthy lives, and provide education to all children by 2030. To help achieve this goal, our program activities are designed to prevent new HIV infections and provide a comprehensive package of life saving health care services to 400 HIV+ orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia. Program activities target the entire family and impact different family members in multiple ways. For example, in addition to the HIV+ child receiving health care, the family receives training in HIV, ongoing education, insecticide treated bed nets, and an opportunity to enroll in our micro loans program.

A story of a typical child enrolled in our pediatric HIV care program is given below.

Jane, a tenth grader, inspires us with her cheerful attitude and love for learning amidst difficult circumstances. She lives with her parents and three siblings in a home with no electricity or running water. Her parents are on treatment themselves and barely able to pay for food and medicines as her father is unemployed and her mom sells a few items from her home. Jane enrolled in our pediatric HIV care program when she got sick two years back. Since enrollment her health has improved significantly, and she is back in school. She receives counseling, training in adherence to medication, education in HIV, food, medicines and regular health check-ups. In addition, Jane receives funds for school expenses. She participates enthusiastically in our weekly educational games and activities program. We are proud of Jane as she is a good student and is self-reliant in taking care of her health and helps care for her parents.

Jane’s mom appreciates the skills she learned during the training she received in HIV care and prevention. She says that the program should continue with its excellent work.

Thanks for giving the gift of health and well-being to hundreds of children like Jane.  

Links:

• About our pediatric HIV care program
• Together We Can End AIDS
• About the Training Provided to Family Members