Barriers to Uptake of Pediatric HIV Treatment and Care in Kenya: A Diagnostic Study
Researchers with the Council’s Horizons program examined community awareness about pediatric HIV treatment in Kenya and barriers to caregivers in seeking treatment and care for their HIV-infected children in order to guide the development of a project to improve the uptake of pediatric treatment and care.
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 used 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 worked 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.
Banner photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN
Key findings include:
- Cost is a barrier to pediatric HIV treatment.
- Caregivers often turn to traditional healers.
- Caregivers demonstrate low knowledge of pediatric HIV and treatment options.
- Attitudinal barriers to pediatric treatment are widespread.
- Stigma prevents caregivers from seeking pediatric HIV care.
- Older children and adolescents face unique treatment issues.
- Caregivers cite dissatisfaction with HIV services received.
- Health workers miss opportunities to discuss pediatric HIV with clients.
- Health workers cite service-side challenges.
Based on this study, Council researchers will work with the study partners to implement appropriate interventions to respond to the problems identified by the research. The following priorities will be explored:
- Implementing community awareness activities to educate and support caregivers, to inform them about available services and to reduce stigma.
- Bringing services closer to the people, for example through mobile clinics and utilization of trained community health workers.
- Strengthening the capacity of health care workers so that they can provide quality care and appropriate referrals.
- Supporting family-based HIV testing approaches so that HIV-positive family members can be identified and offered timely care.
- Utilizing strategies to reach HIV-positive adolescents and young adults.
Banner photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN
'If you build it, will they come?' Kenya healthy start pediatric HIV study: A diagnostic study investigating barriers to HIV treatment and care among children (PDF)
Kiragu,Karusa; Schenk,Katie D.; Murugi,Julie; Sarna,Avina
Horizons Final Report
Publication date: 2008
Project Stats
Location: Kenya (Eastern, Nairobi, Nyanza provinces)
Program(s):
HIV and AIDS
Topic(s):
HIV care, support, and treatment
PMTCT and pediatric HIV
Stigma and discrimination
Duration: 3/2007 - 7/2007
Population Council researchers:
Avina Sarna
Katie Schenk
Non-Council collaborators:
Asunta Wagura (Kenya Network of Women with AIDS)
Father Ed Phillips (Archdiocese of Nairobi Eastern Deanery AIDS Relief Program)
Peter Ngure (Christian Health Association of Kenya)
Donors:
Peter Savosnick
US Agency for International Development
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