Category Archives: HAART for Children

Participants at a Catholic networking meeting in Vienna before the International Conference on AIDS. Credit Caritas Austria

Today’s group of participants is a little different than on Friday as some more participants have arrived in the meantime. The workshops I manage to attend to are “Ethical issues” and “Children and HIV and AIDS”.

Ethical issues

In this workshop, the presenters examined both the theological principles and values that should serve as the foundation of individual and social decision-making related to approaches to HIV prevention and other programming.

They also examined some of the issues and dilemmas that confront people who are living with or affected by HIV – such as issues of prevention of the sexual spread of HIV, assuring that resources and funding are made available on an equitable basis, regardless of where a person lives or what socio-economic background the person is from.

The special vulnerability of women and children was discussed. Participants debated the difficult challenges of integrating the values and teaching of the Catholic Church with the real-life, everyday situations, especially those over which some people do not have complete control.

Children and HIV and AIDS

In this workshop Caritas Ukraine and Caritas Moscow presenting their work. Many HIV-infections are due to drug abuse.

Some statistics. In 1991 93% of HIV infections in Russia were by drug abuse, nowadays 40% are by sexual transmission.

A big issue in Russia as well as in the Ukraine is stigmatisation and discrimination. Many HIV-infected children are abandoned by their mothers and there is an increasing number of orphans. Orphans, children of drug-abusers and people living with HIV and AIDS are strongly rejected by society.

A lot of the work of Caritas is therefore focused on changing behaviour and enable social integration of orphans. Caritas Moscow works with the staff of state institutions where HIV-infected children are still separated from others.

Caritas Vorarlberg presented their “HAART for children” campaign. This international campaign promotes the development of ‘child friendly’ dosages and formulations of anti-retroviral medication for use with children living with this virus.

There was little time left for discussion but everybody seemed happy to get to know other realities and share experiences.

Summary: A good preparation for the congress that is going to start tonight and a  lot of input for just two days of sessions.

“One of the difficulties of such workshops is that – as always – we get so much input and there is so little time to discuss it”, a participant says.

And, in fact, one often ends up getting the feeling that there is never enough time to share everything and discuss everything. But there is also a feeling that through these networking sessions people get motivated as they see others experiences.

And this gives strength to move on in “fighting” against HIV and AIDS together.

Participants at a Catholic networking meeting on HIV prior to the International Summit on AIDS in Vienna. Credit: Caritas Austria

by  Stefan Lechner, Caritas Austria

First of all, as promised in the earlier blog, outcomes of Friday’s sessions are summarised. (Catholic HIV and AIDS specialists met before then in Vienna before the International HIV Conference this week).

Moving from end-of-life-care to promotion of positive living with HIV

Participants in the workshop said that a major challenge is the needs of families affected by HIV or AIDS.

Another topic discussed was that of “positive prevention” – how to prevent further transmission of HIV within couples already experiencing the infection in one or both of partners.

And another problem is that clients might get dependent on the programmes they’re involved with and experience difficulties leaving it, as in many programmes everything is provided for.

Also a challenge is that programmes need to adapt as the situation changes.  With the introduction of antiretroviral therapy people have better prospects of life and programming should focus on that.

HIV and Addiction

In the workshop focusing on “HIV and Addiction”, medical and non-medical treatments were discussed. A key theme was that, in the absence of a conscious choice by a person to abandon the use of drugs, other measures are unlikely to work.

“Especially young people are very likely to get addicted,” said Dr. Dimitrov Ivaylo from Bulgaria. “As they consider themselves different from others. And often end up in the vicious circle of addiction.”

Very different approaches and experiences were discussed by the group (for example in relation to the issue to substitution therapy).

Spirituality and Pastoral Care

In this workshop possible approaches to capacity-building for clergy (including bishops), religious, and other pastoral agents were discussed, as well as participative approaches to such training.

Participants stressed the importance of listening, as every beneficiary has individual needs. It is important to be sensitive to the death experience, but it also is important to focus on survivors.

Work is challenging for people affected by HIV but also for those who work with them and care-givers often are at risk of burnout. It is important for all – persons living with or affected by HIV as well as care-givers to pay attention to their own needs. And not simply to wait for God to provide a solution for each and every human challenge.

An interesting general point was made by a participant from Mozambique. In some projects, “people celebrate every time some kind of support is not needed anymore”.

I take advantage of a break to also get some information on Rwanda. As there are many people everywhere we decide to have a walk in the garden of Kardinal Koenig Haus. We find a nice and calm place and sit down.

Dr. Kanani Prince Bosco starts telling me about Rwanda’s specific situation: “In Rwanda there are not only a lot of orphans because of HIV and AIDS, there are also a lot of orphans from the Genocide in 1994 (find the full interview in another blog).

Suddenly, we notice that a small animal is sitting close to us it seems as it is listening.

Quite surprised I ask Dr. Kanani Prince Bosco if he knows that animal. He replies that he had never seen something similar. I tell him: “That is a fox. Apparently a tame one.” A very unusual sight in the middle of Vienna.

As the fox is gone I ask him about his expectations for the congress he tells me: “My expectation is to get information and exchange best practices. See good programs that have shown success. We all have something to learn.

We all have something to share. It’s a good opportunity to learn and share.”

Dr. Kanani Prince Bosco pf Caritas Rwanda. Credit Stefan Lechner/Caritas

by Stefan Lechner/Caritas Communicator of Caritas Austria

Here is an interview with Dr. Kanani Prince Bosco, medical doctor in charge of the health department as a national medical coordinator for Caritas Rwanda.

How is the situation of AIDS-orphans in Rwanda?

HIV does not choose someone specific, HIV affects everyone. In Rwanda, there are not only a lot of orphans because of AIDS, there are also a lot of orphans from the 1994 genocide. We had war and some people even tried to infect many others by force.

What can you do for those children?

In our programmes, orphans get care and support. We are trying to pay scholarships for orphans and give them psychosocial support.

A special programme of Caritas Rwanda is called “Family Houses”. We welcome orphans who are vulnerable in this programme and we look for someone who has the will to be a mother to them. Depending on funding, we then might rent a house. The ‘mother’ stays there with those children and we try to provide everything they need. We already have seen some of those children finishing school and then move out.

It is our goal, that after helping those orphans, they start their lives outside the Family Houses. It is important to find their own families, if they still have one, or other families who are willing to welcome them. This is always a better choice. It is also important to prepare the community to welcome them. All of this is a big challenge.

How do you work with pregnant women with HIV?

We try to get medicine that prevents that HIV being passed to the child. Women have to come to see us with their husbands, so that all of them understand the issue. And we want to make sure the man helps the woman. He also has to come to health centre. This is important because of the existing stigma. The men also need to be tested and to know their status.

Where do people get therapy?

I do have to mention that Caritas Ruanda has about 112 health facilities in Rwanda.

After the government it is Caritas that has most health facilities in the country. Caritas provides for around 30% of them.

What relation is there in between HIV and AIDS and poverty?

The relation between AIDS and poverty is  a big challenge indeed. When we are trying to talk to people who work as sex workers, they tell us “I don’t have anything. I have to sell sex as a profession in order to get money and in order to live.”

One woman told me: “Some men are saying, if you do it without condom you get more money. And the money I need for feeding my children.”  In the end, this woman might get AIDS too.

On the other side, people living with HIV use the little money they have in order to get medicine, also for other infection diseases that you might get when you have AIDS. And then all their money is gone. So people get poor because of going to the doctor, doing some exams, doing some tests, buying medicines.

So the relation between poverty and HIV and AIDS is a terrible, vicious circle. We are trying to help the people to organise or get some income-generating activities.

And we have seen some really positive impact. Some people have left sex work as a profession. And they now try to change other people’s behaviour.

What do you think is crucial for your work?

We have to promote a local response. This is very important. You can have good programmes, but what we have to do is to put people living with the disease in a position for them to lead, for example the designing of processes and programmes.

We should let them act and stimulate local response. We should not come as an expert, but let them be expert. They really know what is about. Let them do it and not the ones that are bringing money. Like this we can really fight

What do you expect of the international Aids conference in Vienna?

My expectation is to get information and exchange good practices. See good programmes, that have been successful. We all have something to learn. We all have something to share. It’s a good opportunity to learn and share.