Weighing up the burden of care on caregivers of orphan children: The Amajuba District Child Health and Wellbeing Project, South Africa
Abstract
This paper assesses the burden on orphan caregivers relative to non-orphan caregivers in the context of high HIV/AIDS mortality in South Africa. It presents findings from the third round of a study conducted in the Amajuba District of KwaZulu-Natal between 2003 and 2007. Significant differences were found between orphan and non-orphan caregivers; the former being more likely to care for more children, have poorer health, higher levels of chronic illness, less adult help and they appeared to have more daily responsibilities. Orphan caregivers were also more likely to indicate that children in their care needed help for mental or behavioural problems but overall results showed that only 3.4% of all households had contact with child welfare agencies. The findings question assumptions about the capacity and capability of the extended family to absorb shocks to individuals and families.
Categories: Health Care
Other articles
Care arrangement, grief, and psychological problems among children orphaned by AIDS in China
The China Ministry of Health has estimated that there are at least 100,000 AIDS orphans in China. The UNICEF China Office…
Read moreThe maintenance of bastard children in London, 1790-1834
Background Orphan children living in orphanages are often neglected. These children's physical and mental health status…
Read moreUndernutrition and Associated Factors among Under-Five Orphan Children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2020: A Cross-Sectional Study
Background. Undernutrition contributes to the death of around 3 million children and threatens the futures of hundreds of…
Read more‘Children without a family should come out!’: sociocultural barriers affecting the implementation of interventions among orphans and vulnerable children in Nigeria
The increasing vulnerability of children and experiences of childhood violence in many parts of the world have gained traction…
Read more