Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: October | Volume: 9 | Issue: 10 | Pages: 119-124
What needs do HIV Infected Nigerian Children and Their Care Givers Expect to Be Met by Their Paediatric Anti-Retroviral Clinics?
Dr. Oyedeji O.A
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Ladoke Akintola Univeristy of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
Background: Paediatric HIV disease is a chronic infection requiring frequent and lifelong follow up care. The felt needs of HIV infected children and their caregivers attending Nigerian paediatric ARV clinics are unknown. These needs ought to be known in order to enhance ART service delivery.
Objective: To determine the felt needs of HIV infected children and their care givers attending the paediatric ARV clinic of a Nigerian paediatric ARV clinic.
Methods: Consecutive consenting HIV infected children and their care givers seen at the Paediatric ARV clinic of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital Osogbo, Western Nigeria, over a one year period were studied. Information concerning the felt needs of the HIV infected children and their caregivers, were sought and recorded in a proforma. The data obtained was analysed using SPSS version 16
Results: Thirty two HIV infected children and their care givers were studied over the one year period. The care givers were the mothers in 25(78.1%) and fathers in 7(21.9%) cases. The ages of the children studied ranged from 9 months to 12years, with a mean± SD of 6.1 ± 3.0years. The ages of the fathers ranged from 34-70 years with a mean± SD of 43.9 ± 12.6years, while the range was 27-44 years with a mean of 34.7 ± 7.9 years for the mothers. All the children and their care givers wanted free hospital services and required for the government to continue subsidizing cost of basic investigation such as chest radiographs and routine full blood counts tests done in conjunction with CD4 counts, while 18(56.3%) wanted the assistance of health care providers in disclosing the HIV status of their HIV infected children. Ten(31.3%), 9 (28.1%), 4(12.5%) and 3(6.3%) children and their care givers wanted the health facility to commence special afternoon clinics, prompt delivery of health care services, increased interval from once in two months clinic appointments to once in three months and more user friendly services.
Conclusion: HIV infected children and their caregivers have formidable needs. Addressing these needs should improve utilization of paediatric ARV services.
Key words: Expectations, needs, desires, carers, HIV and paediatrics.