Ghosh S, Rashmi G, Chandra R, Bajpai D, Kurup A, Foster G, Bhatt P, Richardson J; International Conference on AIDS (15th : 2004 : Bangkok, Thailand).

Int Conf AIDS. 2004 Jul 11-16; 15: abstract no. WePeD6575.

International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Brighton, United Kingdom

Issues: Ideally, children should be cared for by families supported by communities. Increasing numbers of children affected by AIDS (CABA) is leading to child abandonment fueled by stigma and economic concerns. What approaches have Indian NGOs pioneered to support CABA and enable abandoned children to receive care from willing and capable foster families? Description: International HIV/AIDS Alliance, funded by Step Forward, Abbott Laboratories Fund, supports community care programs in India implemented by 3 lead partners and 34 implementing NGOs in 3 states. The programs support 5,877 PLHA and 6,847 CABA through activities including home visiting, material and psychosocial support. Data will be presented illustrating innovative CABA-related activities including: Promotion of fostering by non-relatives and identification and provision of economic support to foster families to meet abandoned children's educational, nutritional and medical needs Contributions in cash or kind ("handful of rice a day") to support CABA through community "adopt-a-family" schemes. Establishment of children's clubs to enable peer support to CABA Working with school authorities to get excluded CABA readmitted Establishment by street children of community-based organizations to increase protection and raise incomes Hospice care of children dying of AIDS Lessons learned: Flexible approaches by private sector donors and intermediaries to supporting local NGOs encourage the development of innovative responses. Foster care is possible in the Indian cultural context when communities develop culturally-sensitive responses that overcome stigma and address economic concerns. Recommendations: Effective responses to increase protection and care of CABA and overcome stigma need to be documented so that best practices can be disseminated and adopted widely.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Adoption
• Child
• Child Care
• Child Welfare
• Family
• Foster Home Care
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Health Planning Guidelines
• Humans
• India
• Organizations
• Private Sector
• Research
• organization & administration

Other ID:

• GWAIDS0040274

UI: 102284490

From Meeting Abstracts