Perinatally-infected children aged 0 to 12 years are increasingly being enrolled in treatment programs in Africa, and there is growing awareness of the psychological and social issues faced by these children, their caregivers, and their health providers. However, information about approaches addressing the psychological and social needs of children living with HIV, and the needs of their caregivers and health providers, is limited. For children growing up with HIV, care and treatment programs must address a range of interrelated challenges, such as when and how to disclose serostatus, how to help children and their families know how and to whom to disclose the child’s status, how to help children adhere to medications, and how to equip children and their families to combat stigma.

The Equipping Parents and Health Providers to Address the Psychological and Social Challenges of Caring for Children Living with HIV activity sought to better understand the psychological and social challenges faced by perinatally-infected children aged 0 to 12 years in Africa, their parents/caregivers, and their health providers. It explored factors that contribute to the ability of children living with HIV to cope and thrive, and identified the tools and approaches being used to help parents/caregivers and health providers provide psychosocial support (PSS) to these children.