The psychological, social and development needs of babies and young children and their caregivers living with HIV and AIDS
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2008
TITLE AUTHOR(S): T.Rochat, C.Mitchell, L.Richter
KEYWORDS: CHILDREN, DEVELOPMENT, EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD), HIV/AIDS, INFORMAL CARE, ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN (OVC), PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Intranet: HSRC Library: shelf number 5613
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/5081
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/5081
If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.
Abstract
The early years of a child's life are critical. Over the last few decades, science has significantly enhanced what we know about the needs of infants, toddlers and young children, underscoring the fact that experiences and relationships in the earliest years of life play a critical role in a child's ability to grow up healthy and ready to learn. Research shows that it is during the first three years of life that the brain undergoes its most dramatic growth and developments, more so than at any other time in the child's lifespan. The key to supporting the healthy development of children is to ensure the translation of this research into effective, evidence-based policies and practices. In their early years, children living in South Africa, along with those living in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa, face tremendous challenges to their survival, development and wellbeing. Most of these challenges arise from poverty and deprivation and are made worse by the impact of HIV and AIDS. Children may be directly impacted through infection, or indirectly through the quality of care they receive from absent or ill caregivers. Further, they may be distally affected through the effects of HIV and AIDS on their social support networks and their access to health-care services. There is growing recognition that pragmatic and effective solutions for addressing the plight of today's and tomorrow's most vulnerable children in South Africa are urgently needed. Most experts agree that children are best supported within their families and everyday systems of care. Building stronger families goes hand-in-hand with building stronger communities, and strong communities ensure that babies and young children have good health, strong families, and positive early learning experiences which will lay the foundation for a lifetime of success.-
Related Research Outputs:
- The role of the health sector in strengthening systems to support children's healthy development in communities affected by HIV/AIDS: a review
- Strengthening systems to support children's healthy development in communities affected by HIV/AIDS
- Impact of HIV/AIDS on children in South Africa: the case of orphans and vulnerable children
- Where the heart is: meeting the psychosocial needs of young children in the context of HIV/AIDS
- The impact of HIV/AIDS on the development of children
- An exploratory study of the impact of primary caregiver HIV infection on caregiving and child developmental outcome in the era of Haart: piloting the methodology
- Care environments for infants and young children affected by HIV/AIDS: final report
- The use of implementation research networks on orphans and vulnerable children to encourage research-driven policies: the case of Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe
- A monitoring dilemma: orphans and children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS
- Enhancing resilience in children affected by HIV and AIDS: children's views and experiences of resilience enhancing family and community practices
- Report and policy brief from the 4th Africa Conference on social aspects of HIV/AIDS research: innovations in access to prevention, treatment and care in HIV/AIDS, Kisumu, Kenya, 29 April-3 May 2007
- Interventions for orphans and vulnerable children at four project sites in South Africa
- "Going to scale"
- Going to scale: a randomised community trial to determine the cost-effectiveness of alternative interventions to support highly vulnerable children and families in the context of HIV, AIDS and poverty
- Improving the developmental outcome of babies
- No small issue: children and families: universal action now
- Targeting AIDS orphans and child-headed households?: a perspective from national surveys in South Africa, 1995-2005
- Psychosocial support (PSS) needs of community-based caregivers (CBCs) working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in South Africa
- Methods for evaluation of psychosocial support (PSS) needs of community based caregivers (CBCs) working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and PLWHA in South Africa
- We are volunteering: communities' responses to children in need