ICASA 2023: Supporting caregivers to care for children living with HIV in South Africa

Abstract (Poster Presentation)

Background

In 2016, 320,000 children in South Africa were living with HIV, mainly due to vertical transmission, yet 45% were not on ART, with many lost to follow-up by age 12 months. HIV disclosure is complicated by stigma, leading to fear and a lack of accurate knowledge among children and caregivers.

Description

KidzAlive@Home, implemented by Zoë-Life South Africa (2019-2022), supports HIV identification, testing, and retention for children in KwaZulu-Natal. Partnering with trusted community structures, it provides caregivers with child-friendly resources like KidzAdherence and the KidzAlive TalkTool to translate treatment literacy into practical actions. Healthcare workers use these tools for education, disclosure support, and creating child-friendly spaces in health facilities.

Results

- 192 healthcare workers trained; 147 mentored.

- 15 child-friendly spaces created.

- 5,329 children tested; 201 HIV positive; 235 linked to care.

- 1,097 caregivers and 748 children received disclosure support.

- 157 children attended KidzAdherence Support Groups.

Lessons Learned

Caregivers need child-friendly tools to act on knowledge, and child-friendly spaces help engage them. KidzAdherence Support Groups promote understanding and reduce fear in children.

Next Steps

Zoë-Life plans to expand capacity-building for community organisations and ensure long-term support for families through quality improvement initiatives, endorsed by the government.