From HIV Abandonment to Adoption Case study of New Life Home for abandoned babies, Kenya
Journal Title: Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal - Year 2007, Vol 7, Issue 3
Abstract
Te number of orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) worldwide has increased as a result of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) pandemic. New Life Home (NLH) specialises in the care of infants who have been orphaned or abandoned, often because of their exposure to HIV and places them for adoption. Tis paper documents the lessons learnt from the Home’s first 8.5 years of existence. Methods: Tis retrospective study analyses the pattern of the 490 infants admitted at NLH. Te characteristics of the infants’ stay are analysed: bio-data, weight, HIV exposure, referring organisation/agent and outcome. Tis study ceased to follow infants after adoption, death, transferral to other homes, or reunion with own family. Te infants came via health facilities (58%), local authorities (5%), good Samaritans (2%), and other children’s homes (25%). Results: At the end of the study period, 425 (92%) of babies were still alive. Of those who died, 80% were less than 6 months old (p<0.003) and 45% were HIV positive. A child mortality rate of 77.6/000 was demonstrated with the key associated factors being HIV exposure (p <000), and weight at admission (p=0.002). Te mortality rate for the HIV exposed was 7/000 at 6 months, 94.7/000 at 2 months and 00.6/000 at 8 months, while for those not exposed to the virus it was 43.3/000 at 6 months and 46.7/000 at 2 months. Te major cause of death in the HIV exposed was pneumonia (56%) and septicaemia (22%). Te majority of infants, 323 (67%) were adopted, some were reabsorbed into their biological families 3(6.3%) and a minority 7(.4%) transferred to other children’s homes which cater for older children. Conclusion: NLH demonstrates a possible model of care for OVC as majority of vulnerable child can have the opportunity to be adopted and thereby a ‘second lease’ of life. Tis strategy is worth studying and duplicating in the mitigation of the OVC dilemma in HIV high prevalence countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Authors and Affiliations
Abdul Majid Wangai Jr| New Life Home, P. O. Box 62610, City Square, Nairobi 00200, Kenya, East Africa, Maryam Wangai| New Life Home, P. O. Box 62610, City Square, Nairobi 00200, Kenya, East Africa, Mary Beckenham| New Life Home, P. O. Box 62610, City Square, Nairobi 00200, Kenya, East Africa, Clive Beckenham| New Life Home, P. O. Box 62610, City Square, Nairobi 00200, Kenya, East Africa
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