EXPERIENCES OF PARENTS ON CLINICAL CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF CHILDREN WITH HIV IN CHINGOLA, ZAMBIA

Abstract

Raising a child is a challenging experience, more so for a child living with HIV. The nature of the condition of a child goes with its complexities, including those which, from time to time, require clinical care and management. The complexities often put parents to the test of how to care for and manage such children. The study explored the experiences of parents of children with HIV as they clinically care for and manage the children in Chingola, Zambia. An interpretive phenomenological framework supported by qualitative approaches was used in the study. The parent participants were selected using a non-probability, homogeneous sampling purposive procedure. The sample was 10 parents of children with HIV drawn from various geographical locations in the study district. Qualitative data was collected using in-depth interviews and was analysed using a thematic analyses approach. The study revealed that parents were central in securing clinical services for their children. These involved HIV testing, access to ART clinic Support, observing hospital appointments, and receiving medical, education and training support on care for their children. As a result, parents found themselves dealing with child’s constant sicknesses and regularly soliciting medical support for the children. It was also found that parents faced challenges arising from initial reactions to the child’s condition, centering on failure to accept the child’s condition, feeling emotionally burdened and increasing desire to get the child get treatment. Additionally, the study revealed that parents were using various coping strategies in dealing with experiences, these involved collaboration with stakeholders like other parents, medical staff and counsellors. These provided clinical, moral and emotional support to parents as they cared for and managed their children on clinical-related issues. as well as regularly receiving education on how to care for children with HIV. Further, parents were working with faith-based groups in areas transporting the child to the hospital, meeting the cost of supplementary medication and receiving regular moral and emotional support, especially when children were hospitalized. However, it was evident from the study that parents required more support when dealing with hospital cases of their children from families, medical personnel and well-wishers, especially in meeting transportation costs, counselling, and supplementary feeding during hospitalization. The study recommends individual, family and group support in various aspects of clinical care of children, including counselling to minimize negative clinical, emotional and psychological challenges encountered as they deal with clinical issues surrounding their children.

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