Aids

PROBLEM STATEMENT

A study of paediatric HIV/AIDS and the impact of this disease on the 'Mommies' at the Cyril Ross Nursery.

INTRODUCTION

HIV/AIDS is a very serious problem, especially in the Caribbean, which has the highest HIV rate in the world, after Sub-Saharan Africa. As a global disease, HIV/AIDS had attracted both positive and negative emotions; from compassion, solidarity and support, to stigma, repression and discrimination.

Statement of Problem

This study explores the experiences of working with children with HIV/AIDS and the impact it has on the employees at the Cyril Ross Nursery. It will seek to evaluate how people who work with HIV/AIDS patients cope with such a difficult situation and how the pressures of the disease influence them. The study also evaluates how the workers see various aspects of society having a bearing on the lives of the children.

Research Questions-

Does working with HIV-infected children have an impact on the workers?

Does the government care for these children?

Does society accept these children knowing about their status?

Has stigmatization been a major problem for the children?

Purpose of study

Although AIDS is seen as a disease which mainly has an impact on adults, many children are affected by it, especially when it is transmitted to them from their parents. Children under age 14 only account for a small part of the known HIV-infected population in the Caribbean but the pediatric share is growing. In late 1996, there had been 6,911 cases of HIV/AIDS diagnosed children in Latin America and the Caribbean whereby most were infected by their HIV mothers during pregnancy, delivery or breast-feeding. In Trinidad and Tobago alone, more than 3,600 children have been orphaned by AIDS. Children are susceptible to many diseases and so it is necessary for them to be cared for efficiently. With HIV/AIDS, through their weakened immune systems, regular illnesses are more frequent, last longer and may respond poorly to regular treatment. There is a major problem with the stigmatization and discrimination of children with HIV in a community.

All these problems would have an impact on the experiences of the people working with HIV children in terms of them being able to work under the pressure of ensuring that the children live healthily while trying to protect the children and themselves from the negative attitudes of the public. There is a need for this type of study to help change society's point of view on people living with the disease. The social control that the stigmatization of this disease has over people can be downgraded if people actually understand from first-hand experiences that the disease is nothing to be scornful about. It is necessary to increase the visibility of interactions with people with the disease as a normal part of society if any progress is going to be made

Educational value

The focus of this activity deals with a global epidemic, which means that the information generated will benefit everyone in society. It is necessary for society to evolve and eliminate the stigma and discrimination attached to the virus, and through understanding it from persons who have direct contact with it, society will be able to move forward. The government of Trinidad and Tobago will also benefit as it will instill in them how much more awareness and attention they need to place on paediatric HIV/AIDS.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Four research articles were reviewed to obtain background information on HIV/AIDS and its impact on both Caribbean people and worldwide. In November, 2005, according to the Trinidad and Tobago Express dated Saturday November 12th 2005, a research symposium on HIV/AIDS research and policy making was held by the National Aids Coordinating Committee (NACC) in collaboration with the University of the West Indies (UWI). According to Dr. James Hospedales, director of the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC), a lot has been done to meet the HIV/AIDS challenge such as an increase in the provision of antiretroviral drugs through the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS and the increase in information about the disease and how to control it by encouraging consistent condom usage or waiting to have sex after marriage. Yet he believes that a lot of research findings needs to be implemented properly such as reducing the transmission of HIV from mother to child by providing proper treatment to the mother so that her viral count is low. Dr. Hospedales stated that although there has been an exponential growth of persons contracting AIDS since the 1980's, the rate has stabilized due to the advent of free retroviral drugs. He believes that more research should be conducted on various factors. Research needs to be conducted to figure out why people are getting infected, on stigma and discrimination and social and behavioural attitudes. He also suggested research into the high risk groups like men who sleep wit men and commercial sex workers; and the youths of the country.

A study was conducted in June 2005 by the Centre for Drugs and Alcohol Studies at the University of Delaware, Florida, USA, about HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean Basin. According to this study, the number of HIV cases in the region is likely to increase significantly over the next decade due to patterns of sexual behaviour, drug use, migration and the sociocultural practices and legal and religious taboos which serve as barriers to safe sex, as well as stigma, shame and denial which preclude many issues from being openly discussed and addressed. Those who conducted the study believe that studying the HIV epidemic in the Caribbean Basin is difficult as efforts to synthesize information are often hampered by a lack of uniformity and availability of surveillance data, behavioural surveillance is limited and interventions addressing the cultural context of Caribbean populations are few in number.

According to the international AIDS charity AVERT, from the moment scientists identified HIV