Meeting the needs of adolescents living with HIV through home based care: Lessons learned from Tanzania

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dc.contributor.authorMapunda, Pesiens S.
dc.date.accessioned2020-03-12T09:17:06Z
dc.date.available2020-03-12T09:17:06Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.description.abstractPurpose Home based care is central to HIV care and support throughout Africa. Most programs have not addressed the unique needs of adolescents living with HIV, who display lower retention in HIV care and treatment adherence. This study examined the experiences of adolescents living with HIV in Tanzania in order to identify ways to improve home based care to better meet their needs. Methods We conducted a qualitative study in Dar es Salaam and Tanga Region consisting of in-depth interviews with 14 adolescents living with HIV, 10 primary caregivers, and 12 providers assigned to their households. Interviews examined adolescents' experiences of growing up with HIV, perceptions of current home based care, and challenges in increasing acceptability of services. Results We found the program did not align well with adolescents' expectations. Adolescents felt home based care to be more relevant to their caregivers and did not form independent relationships with providers. They expressed anxiety that participation might lead to inadvertent disclosure of their status and consequent discrimination. Both adolescents and their caregivers felt disappointment that no material or financial support was available despite widespread poverty, although they appreciated receiving psychosocial support and practical referrals. Providers demonstrated motivation to work with adolescents but acknowledged lacking requisite skills such as ways to communicate with young people and key messages to deliver. Conclusions Despite challenges, we identified feasible adaptations to make home based care more adolescent-centered. These include actively engaging adolescents in program design, improving provider training in communication with adolescents, and proactively addressing unrealistic expectations. Finally, increasing referral links to a wider range of services could improve program effectiveness by integrating it into a broader development approachen_US
dc.identifier.citationBusza, J., Besana, G.V., Mapunda, P. and Oliveras, E., 2014. Meeting the needs of adolescents living with HIV through home based care: lessons learned from Tanzania. Children and Youth Services Review, 45, pp.137-142.en_US
dc.identifier.otherhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.03.030
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/334
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherChildren and Youth Services Reviewen_US
dc.subjectHome based careen_US
dc.subjectAdolescentsen_US
dc.subjectTanzaniaen_US
dc.titleMeeting the needs of adolescents living with HIV through home based care: Lessons learned from Tanzaniaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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