HIV/Aids in Kenya

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that Kenya has one of the best HIV/AIDS surveillance systems in Africa, with many programs put in place to mitigate the disease. The writer points out that very few programs, however, address the needs of HIV/AIDS orphans. The writer explains that therefore, a gap exists in meeting the special needs of affected and infected orphans, especially their education and psychosocial needs. The writer concludes that in spite of the ravages of the pandemic and its socioeconomic impact on society, communities in Kenya, both international and local, have undertaken the invaluable task of responding to the special needs of HIV/AIDS orphans.

Outline:
Introduction
Determinants of Health
Epidemiology
Impact of Health Issue
Solution
Participation

From the Paper:

"There are a number of definitions of HIV/AIDS orphans. According to UNAIDS, an HIV/AIDS orphan is a child who has lost his or her mother to the disease. However, a more inclusive definition refers to a child who has lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. Other definitions expand the term to include children abandoned by parents and children beading households. These children may be infected by HIV or have AIDS, they may be affected by HIV/AIDS through the loss of one or both parents or siblings, or they may be at risk of infection."
"These orphans may be vulnerable, isolated, depressed, stigmatized, discriminated against, and uneducated; some live in the streets. These orphans may be resented by wealthier relatives with whom they are sometimes placed. Orphaned children in Kenya usually have only four choices of where to live."

Sample of Sources Used:

• AIDS in Africa: Country by Country. UNAIDS. Geneva, Switzerland, December 2000.
• Focus: AIDS and orphans. 2002. Report on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.
• In the Shadow of Death: HIV/AIDS and Children's Rights in Kenya. Human Rights Watch, 13:14, 2001.
• Kenya: Country Profile. December 2005. World Health Organization.
• K'Oyugi, B.O. and J.ane Muita. 2002. The Impact of a Growing HIV/AIDS Epidemic on the Kenyan Children. Florence: UNICEF-IRC.

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