Caregivers’ Experiences with Caring for a Child Living with HIV/AIDS: A Qualitative Study in Northern Ghana

With the advent of Anti-Retroviral Therapy, Human Immune Virus, and Acquire Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome is increasingly becoming a chronic disease as life expectancy among People Living With HIV/AIDS has increased. For Children Living With HIV/AIDS the role of the caregivers becomes essential as care...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gideon Awenabisa Atanuriba, Felix Apiribu, Adwoa Bemah Boamah Mensah, Veronica Millicent Dzomeku, Richard Adongo Afaya, Timothy Gazari, Joseph Kuufaakang Kuunibe, Philemon Adoliwine Amooba
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2021-03-01
Series:Global Pediatric Health
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X211003622
id doaj-32e9d0e06dd24b1cbb41d06994a346aa
record_format Article
spelling doaj-32e9d0e06dd24b1cbb41d06994a346aa2021-03-24T21:35:27ZengSAGE PublishingGlobal Pediatric Health2333-794X2021-03-01810.1177/2333794X211003622Caregivers’ Experiences with Caring for a Child Living with HIV/AIDS: A Qualitative Study in Northern GhanaGideon Awenabisa Atanuriba0Felix Apiribu1Adwoa Bemah Boamah Mensah2Veronica Millicent Dzomeku3Richard Adongo Afaya4Timothy Gazari5Joseph Kuufaakang Kuunibe6Philemon Adoliwine Amooba7Tamale Regional/Central Hospital, Tamale, GhanaKwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaKwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaKwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaUniversity for Development Studies, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tamale, GhanaUniversity for Development Studies, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tamale, GhanaMidwifery Training College, Upper West Rgion, Tumu-GhanaKwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaWith the advent of Anti-Retroviral Therapy, Human Immune Virus, and Acquire Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome is increasingly becoming a chronic disease as life expectancy among People Living With HIV/AIDS has increased. For Children Living With HIV/AIDS the role of the caregivers becomes essential as caregivers’ decisions affect CLWH health. However, the experiences of these caregivers are often unnoticed while all interventions are directed at PLWH. This study aimed at exploring the experiences of caregivers of CLWH in some selected hospitals in northern Ghana. This study employed a qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach. Purposive sampling technique was used to recruit 9 participants from 3 public hospitals in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana. Data was manually analyzed using the approach of Collaizi and the findings were presented in themes and sub-themes. We conducted individual face to face interviews in English and Dagbani from September to November 2019. These interviews were conducted at the convenience of the participants in hospitals and at their homes. They were introduced to the study while awaiting to take antivirals for their CLWH. Five themes emerged: changed family dynamics, discovery of diagnosis, reaction to diagnosis, disclosure, stigma and discrimination, and burden and challenges of care. Caregivers were severely impacted by caring for CLWH and traumatized by changed family dynamics which exposed them to many difficulties. Stigma was widely perpetrated by immediate family members and majority reacted badly to their children HIV-positive status with fear, shame, guilt and even suicidal ideation.https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X211003622
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Gideon Awenabisa Atanuriba
Felix Apiribu
Adwoa Bemah Boamah Mensah
Veronica Millicent Dzomeku
Richard Adongo Afaya
Timothy Gazari
Joseph Kuufaakang Kuunibe
Philemon Adoliwine Amooba
spellingShingle Gideon Awenabisa Atanuriba
Felix Apiribu
Adwoa Bemah Boamah Mensah
Veronica Millicent Dzomeku
Richard Adongo Afaya
Timothy Gazari
Joseph Kuufaakang Kuunibe
Philemon Adoliwine Amooba
Caregivers’ Experiences with Caring for a Child Living with HIV/AIDS: A Qualitative Study in Northern Ghana
Global Pediatric Health
author_facet Gideon Awenabisa Atanuriba
Felix Apiribu
Adwoa Bemah Boamah Mensah
Veronica Millicent Dzomeku
Richard Adongo Afaya
Timothy Gazari
Joseph Kuufaakang Kuunibe
Philemon Adoliwine Amooba
author_sort Gideon Awenabisa Atanuriba
title Caregivers’ Experiences with Caring for a Child Living with HIV/AIDS: A Qualitative Study in Northern Ghana
title_short Caregivers’ Experiences with Caring for a Child Living with HIV/AIDS: A Qualitative Study in Northern Ghana
title_full Caregivers’ Experiences with Caring for a Child Living with HIV/AIDS: A Qualitative Study in Northern Ghana
title_fullStr Caregivers’ Experiences with Caring for a Child Living with HIV/AIDS: A Qualitative Study in Northern Ghana
title_full_unstemmed Caregivers’ Experiences with Caring for a Child Living with HIV/AIDS: A Qualitative Study in Northern Ghana
title_sort caregivers’ experiences with caring for a child living with hiv/aids: a qualitative study in northern ghana
publisher SAGE Publishing
series Global Pediatric Health
issn 2333-794X
publishDate 2021-03-01
description With the advent of Anti-Retroviral Therapy, Human Immune Virus, and Acquire Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome is increasingly becoming a chronic disease as life expectancy among People Living With HIV/AIDS has increased. For Children Living With HIV/AIDS the role of the caregivers becomes essential as caregivers’ decisions affect CLWH health. However, the experiences of these caregivers are often unnoticed while all interventions are directed at PLWH. This study aimed at exploring the experiences of caregivers of CLWH in some selected hospitals in northern Ghana. This study employed a qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach. Purposive sampling technique was used to recruit 9 participants from 3 public hospitals in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana. Data was manually analyzed using the approach of Collaizi and the findings were presented in themes and sub-themes. We conducted individual face to face interviews in English and Dagbani from September to November 2019. These interviews were conducted at the convenience of the participants in hospitals and at their homes. They were introduced to the study while awaiting to take antivirals for their CLWH. Five themes emerged: changed family dynamics, discovery of diagnosis, reaction to diagnosis, disclosure, stigma and discrimination, and burden and challenges of care. Caregivers were severely impacted by caring for CLWH and traumatized by changed family dynamics which exposed them to many difficulties. Stigma was widely perpetrated by immediate family members and majority reacted badly to their children HIV-positive status with fear, shame, guilt and even suicidal ideation.
url https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X211003622
work_keys_str_mv AT gideonawenabisaatanuriba caregiversexperienceswithcaringforachildlivingwithhivaidsaqualitativestudyinnorthernghana
AT felixapiribu caregiversexperienceswithcaringforachildlivingwithhivaidsaqualitativestudyinnorthernghana
AT adwoabemahboamahmensah caregiversexperienceswithcaringforachildlivingwithhivaidsaqualitativestudyinnorthernghana
AT veronicamillicentdzomeku caregiversexperienceswithcaringforachildlivingwithhivaidsaqualitativestudyinnorthernghana
AT richardadongoafaya caregiversexperienceswithcaringforachildlivingwithhivaidsaqualitativestudyinnorthernghana
AT timothygazari caregiversexperienceswithcaringforachildlivingwithhivaidsaqualitativestudyinnorthernghana
AT josephkuufaakangkuunibe caregiversexperienceswithcaringforachildlivingwithhivaidsaqualitativestudyinnorthernghana
AT philemonadoliwineamooba caregiversexperienceswithcaringforachildlivingwithhivaidsaqualitativestudyinnorthernghana
_version_ 1724204396793823232