HIVSA secures USAID Grant to Empower Children and Adolescents Affected by HIV in North-West Province
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
HIVSA secures USAID Grant to Empower Children and Adolescents Affected by HIV in North-West Province.
Johannesburg, April 2024 - HIVSA is excited to announce that it has received a significant grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This grant will support HIVSA in implementing the "Children, Adolescents and Families in the HIV Epidemic in the North-West Province" (CAFHE) program.
HIV and AIDS continues to have a major impact on individuals and on community structures in South Africa, including families. The North-West Province has one of the highest HIV prevalences in South Africa. It is further challenged by severe poverty, a huge surface area housing a scattered community, and limited human resources. The Southern and Bojanala regions have the highest HIV ANC prevalence rates in the province (31.1% and 30.4% respectively, the provincial rate being 26.7%)
The HIV and AIDS pandemic affects all children, because it changes the nature of the society in which they live. The quality and availability of health, welfare and education systems are deteriorating because of demands created by this epidemic. Research conducted by Delport (2007:48) indicates that some social workers in the North-West Province handle more than 200 foster care placements per year.
Adolescents are highly vulnerable to HIV acquisition than adult because of the transition stage of their development and the need to adapt to the rapid biological, physical and structural changes in their lives. Adolescent girls remain a high priority towards ending the HIV epidemic. Prevention programmes must address gender inequalities driving excessive risk among adolescent girls by engaging men during early stages of adolescence around harmful gender norms related to HIV. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen the adolescent component of national HIV programmes to improve the effectiveness of the HIV response especially for out of school and unemployed youth.