Horizons Projects | Barriers to Uptake of Pediatric HIV Treatment and Care in Kenya: A Diagnostic Study

HORIZONS PROJECT
Barriers to Uptake of Pediatric HIV Treatment and Care in Kenya: A Diagnostic Study

Despite growing research on the efficacy of HIV treatment in children, pediatric HIV treatment lags far behind adult HIV treatment in developing countries. In Kenya, while 40 percent of adults who need HIV treatment are receiving it, only 11 percent of eligible children are on this life-saving therapy. Many supply-side barriers to pediatric treatment have been documented, such as lack of proper supplies and equipment, lack of medical professionals trained in pediatric treatment, and lack of accessibility to services.

Less well documented are demand-side barriers. These include issues such as stigma, community knowledge and perceptions of those receiving treatment, and difficult living situations faced by many HIV-positive children. This study will use both qualitative and quantitative methods in order to examine the level of community awareness about pediatric HIV infection and treatment in Kenya and factors that may hinder parents and caregivers from seeking treatment for their infected children.

Project collaborators will work with local partners to use the research findings to develop and implement a small-scale intervention to increase the uptake of HIV testing and treatment among children and adolescents.

Location

Eastern Province (Meru Central, Mbeere, and Isiolo Districts), Nairobi Province (Mathare, Baba Dogo, and Soweto), and Nyanza Province, Kenya

Duration

March 2007–July 2007

Horizons and Population Council researchers

Katie Schenk, Karusa Kiragu, Avina Sarna

Non-Council collaborators

Peter Ngure (Christian Health Association of Kenya)

Father Ed Phillips (Archdiocese of Nairobi Eastern Deanery AIDS Relief Program)

Peter Savosnick (Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation)

Asunta Wagura (Kenya Network of Women with AIDS)

Donor

US Agency for International Development