| Summary |
South Africa has seen a rapid increase in HIV prevalence among the general population
over the past 10 years, from less than one percent in 1990 to twenty percent in 2001
(UNDP 2002). As the HIV/AIDS epidemic increases, so do the number of orphans and
vulnerable children (OVC). In 2002, an estimated five million people (approximately 12
percent of the population) were living with HIV/AIDS (Steinberg et al. 2002). Because
of the average 10-year period between infection and death, even if HIV prevalence
declined rapidly, South Africa would still experience an increasing orphan burden for many
years to come. Projections show that by 2010, 16 percent of all children in South Africa,
will be orphans and more than 70 percent will be due to AIDS (Dennis, Ross, and Smith
2002). |
| More Details |
The Nelson Mandela Childrens Fund (NMCF) seeks comprehensive local solutions to
address the negative effects of HIV/AIDS on children, adolescents, households, and
communities. To this end, NMCF initiated the Goelama Project,1 which uses a
community mobilization strategy to catalyze action by local organizations and
government bodies to prevent HIV infection and mitigate the socioeconomic impacts of
the disease, particularly as they affect OVC. NMCF recognizes that in order to develop
indigenous responses to the epidemic, it is important to conduct research to delineate the
problem, identify opportunities for intervention, and measure the effectiveness of
interventions prior to replication or scale-up. This summary highlights key findings from a
study of over 29,000 members of nearly 5,000 households in eight study sites to identify
ways that government and communities can strengthen the socioeconomic capacity of
households to care for and support OVC. The research was commissioned by NMCF and
conducted by Development Research Africa (DRA), with technical assistance from the
Horizons and FRONTIERS programs. The eight predominantly rural study sites were
situated in the provinces of Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu Natal. |
| Publication Webpage |
http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/horizons/nmcfhshldsum.pdf |
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| Keywords |
This Item is associated with the Following
Keywords: HIV/AIDS, ARV Treatment Monitor. |
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