Status of AIDS orphans in Chennai, south India.

Meenalochani, D. ; Thomas, B.E.; Rehman, F.; Sundaram, V.; Suhadev, M.; Swaminathan, S.

SAARC Journal of Tuberculosis, Lung Disease and HIV/AIDS; 2005; II; 28-33.

Abstract: As the AIDS epidemic progresses, there is a shift from focusing on the individual to the family. Often described as a family disease, the AIDS pandemic is leaving millions orphaned in its wake. AIDS Orphans are children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. In the Indian context, little is known about what happens to these children. This study was planned to assess the status of AIDS orphans. The sample was from a population of HIV-positive patients enrolled in clinical trials at the division of HIV / AIDS of the Tuberculosis Research Center, Chennai, India. Some of the patients had succumbed to the illness and left behind children. Caregivers of these children were interviewed using a semi structured interview schedule. This paper discusses the status of 140 AIDS orphans belonging to 67 families who had lost one or both parent due to AIDS.

Twenty six percent had lost both parents and 50% of the surviving parents were sero positive. Ten percent of the children were sero positive while the sero status of 41% was not known. Their mothers cared more than half of the orphans for, while maternal relatives cared for 24%.

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