The International Children's Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) in partnership with the RIATT-ESA Care and Support working group is launching a policy brief for palliative care for children living with HIV.
Research shows that there is a great need for palliative care for children living with HIV/AIDS. In 2015 an estimated 1.8 million children under 15 years of age were living with HIV but only 49% had access to lifesaving medicines i.e. Antiretroviral therapy. Half of all HIV infected children do not therefore receive any treatment and, without treatment, half of all children born with HIV will die by the age of two and many will die by the age of five.
Some of the recommendations include:
- The Integration of children’s palliative care into primary, secondary and tertiary health care services.
- Ensuring equitable access to pain-relieving and other palliative medicines, including opioids in formulations suitable for children.
- To ensure that care is provided in a holistic manner i.e. providing physical, psychological, social and spiritual support.
- To sensitise communities to palliative care, identifying individuals who may be local CPC champions.