Print
this page
Email
this page Newsletters - The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Children
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea, with an estimated population of almost 5.9 million people, is the most populous nation in the South Pacific region (UNICEF 2005). It is a young population with 40% under 15 years of age.
According to the Human Poverty Index for 2006, 40.5% of Papua New Guineans live on less than a dollar a day and according to AusAID estimates, HIV rates are growing at about 25% per year. Within 20 years, 40% of the adult population could be living with HIV and AIDS.
It is estimated that there are now 10,946 children and young people infected by HIV, and 1,543 children aged two and under are living with HIV. The main mode of infection here is at birth. For those aged between two and nine, the estimated number of children infected with HIV is 3,152. It is difficult to state the main cause of infection in the age group due to the fact that ages might not have been reported correctly. Is it possible that there is a high rate of sexual abuse – we do not know. From 10-14 years, there are 698 estimated children living with HIV. In this age range the main mode of infection is through sexual abuse, sex work, sexual behaviour and blood transfusion. This is also the main mode of transmission for those between the ages of 15-19 years, with 5,553 estimated children living with HIV.
The impact of the HIV /AIDS pandemic has affected all aspects of PNG society both in urban and rural settings. It is estimated that there are 138,108 children living in AIDS-affected families and a total of 620,585 children are at risk of infection.[1]
Some of the problems facing children affected by HIV/AIDS are:
- They are more likely to face stigma and discrimination. A mother living with HIV told me that when her son mentioned in school that his mother and father were living with HIV, the attitudes of the son’s classmates changed towards him. The teacher had to intervene by giving the class HIV/AIDS awareness lessons. Children living with HIV are more likely to be excluded from school because students and even teachers are afraid of being infected.
- They can be traumatised when they care for their ill parents. A young boy cared for his dying mother until she passed away. He was then cared for by relatives but they more or less ignored him and he had to fend for himself. He subsequently found out he was HIV-positive. By the time help was available for him, the infection had progressed to full blown AIDS. It was too late and he died. Children are traumatised when they are orphaned or separated from family and may be passed on from relative to relative. Because of abuse, some of the children end up living rough on the streets.
- They are sometimes isolated. Other parents might tell their children not to play with a child they know or assume to be living with HIV. This is partly as a result of fear for their children being infected. Children living with HIV/AIDS are forced to accept their situation and survive as best as they can.
- They are more likely to live in families where resources are limited. This is because resources that would have been used for school fees, good food and generally maintaining a standard of living, would go towards medication, transport to a clinic and medical bills. Parents who are working might also lose pay as a result of being sick. A lot of organisations do not have an HIV/AIDS policy.
- They are more likely to also take up adult responsibilities which means that they might not be able to attend school. Some children might have to go out and work to augment their family’s income. Due to lack of available work, sex work might be the option that is available.
Unlike in parts of Africa, we have not yet seen a significant increase in child-headed families. This is mainly due to the tradition and culture in Papua New Guinea whereby relatives and family members are usually available to foster or informally adopt children. However, the level of care and support within the families that the children receive might be inadequate and, as stated earlier, the children are sometimes discriminated against and abused. Unless the HIV pandemic is adequately addressed, as more parents die, the relatives might not be able to absorb the children left behind into their own families.
Intervention Programmes
The Anglican Church runs a number of intervention programmes most especially in remote parts of Papua New Guinea. These are Counselling training and training in Home-based Care. The majority of the people in Papua New Guinea live in rural areas. Access to medical care is often some days’ walk away. Trained home-based carers are now able to provide palliative care in their communities.
An important way of reaching younger members of the villages is through Peer Education Training. This a two-week course where people are given HIV/AIDS training to become volunteer Peer Educators. The participants then go back to their villages and speak to their peers about HIV/AIDS. The Peer Educators are given materials by the church such as posters, leaflets, exercise books and writing materials to assist them when speaking to their communities. The main objective of the Peer Education programme is to facilitate behaviour change. Knowledge about HIV/AIDS reduces stigma and discrimination against families living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Due to the increase in orphans in the country, we have set up the orphans and vulnerable children’s project in Lae (PNG’s second largest city). We currently have 18 children registered. These children have lost one or both of their parents due to HIV/AIDS. We provide food and clothes, and help the families in getting medicine. Counselling is provided to the children to assist them in dealing with the trauma of losing their parents. Once a fortnight, the children are brought together to play games and just have fellowship with one another. A number of them do not attend school as their families cannot afford the school fees.
I’ll conclude by quoting from the Anglican Church of PNG, HIV/AIDS policy: “We hope for a future where we can help reverse the spread of the HIV and AIDS: where there is hope and not despair; love and not hate and healing not hurt: and where we can live out the call of Jesus to love one another as he loves us.”
1.UNICEF: Master Plan of Operation 2003-2007, Programme of Cooperation between Government of Papua New Guinea and UNICEF (2006) Families and Children Affected by HIV/AIDS and Other Vulnerable Children in Papua New Guinea
Top
