Highly Vulnerable Children Research Center

Assessing the Impact of Interventions to Meet the Needs of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; Study Overview and Baseline Demographics

This report provides an overview of study methodology and sample characteristics for a study designed to develop critical knowledge on “what works” to improve the well-being of highly vulnerable children (HVC).  The study is a longitudinal assessment of several program models — specifically, the National Association of Child Care Workers (NACCW), Heartbeat International, Tswelopele Initiative, Children in Distress Network (CINDI) and their community-based partners — with emphasis on common intervention strategies for providing support to children who have been orphaned or otherwise affected by HIV in South Africa.  Full baseline surveys were conducted in 2010  with newly enrolled children ages 10-17 and their primary caregivers.  Information was collected on their key service needs — medical, psychological, nutritional, education and social.  At baseline, 50% of the children had lost both parents and 37% had lost one parent.  Almost all children were cared for by immediate family members, with an estimated 37% of these primary caregivers reporting chronic illness during the past year.  Furthermore, 84% of households were found to be moderately or severely food insecure.  A 2012 follow up survey examined how the study participants’ exposure to specific interventions may have affected their wellbeing on a variety of measures.

Suggested Citation:  Thurman T.R., Kidman, R., & Taylor, T.M. (2011). Assessing the Impact of Interventions to Meet the Needs of Orphans and Vulnerable Children in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; Study Overview and Baseline Demographics. New Orleans, Louisiana: Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
 

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