Efforts to provide care for persons living with HIV/AIDS virus received a boost as the Society for Family Health, funded by VIIV Healthcare, has integrated HIV-positive children of 36 vulnerable households into Village Savings and Loans Associations to boost care retention.
Paediatric and Adolescent Programme Director of SFH, Mrs. Aisha Dadi disclosed this in Ogale, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, shortly after rounding off a one-week training and empowerment exercise.
She said that the programme was in collaboration with the Rivers State Ministry of Health, Elizabeth Glasser Paediatric AIDS Foundation, Paediatric Adolescent Treatment Africa and UNICEF.
According to her, the exercise which was conducted in two clusters (Obio/Akpor and Eleme Local Government Councils) is aimed at improving the financial capabilities of vulnerable families whose children had recorded slow response to HIV treatment.
“By our findings, a lot of the caregivers, as a result of distance from hospitals, were faced with difficulties of drug refills,’’ she said.
Mrs. Dadi added that others complained of economic hardship and lack of proper nutrition while on the free HIV anti-retroviral drugs.
She explained that the savings/loans association was expected to integrate caregivers into micro-investment units.
She said that the programme had also trained and empowered them with household economic benefits that would support them effectively to cater for children living with the virus.
“The essence is to ensure that caregivers effectively manage and sustain HIV care and promote commendable viral suppression moving forward,” she said.
Read Also: Delta describes attackers of Dibi Abiteye flow station as economic saboteurs
Dr Francis Naaziga, Programme Manager, Rivers State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, commended the organization for the initiative, describing it as a positive component of the paediatric breakthrough partnership Project.
Naaziga said the beneficiaries of the empowerment programme were selected based on the health status of their children.
”Most of the children have unsuppressed viral load, while others experience missed appointments in drug pick-ups at the various facilities where they are being managed,” he said.
Mr Henry Echonwo, an orphanage home operator and a foster parent of one of the HIV positive children, speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, commending the group for the support.
He promised that beneficiaries will make judicious use of the funds to improve care for affected children.
