Family Dynamics in the HIV/AIDS Care Cascade: An Insider Lens
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Date
2019-03-26
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University of Ghana
Abstract
The narratives about HIV/AIDS at the initial stages of the disease was focused on preventing new infections, finding treatment and reducing mortality. Today, the improved access to treatment is increasing the number of people living with HIV/AIDS. The World health Organisation (WHO) noted that about 36.9 million people were living with HIV as at 2017 out of which 25.7 million were from Africa and 310, 000 from Ghana. Notably, Africa is a continent that places value on family life and social networks. While some families maintained strong bonds, other families faced with the menace of HIV/AIDS are at risk of losing family cohesion due to the negative perception and causality ideations about HIV/AIDS. Stigma is one of the major factors emanating from the internal and external environment of people diagnosed with HIV. The family is one of the social systems that facilitates or inhibits response and adjustment to difficult situations including the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness like HIV. It is for this reason that I explore how HIV/AIDS is affecting the family as a social institution. The presentation is a synthesis of information from professional, tacit and a scoping review lens. The questions pivoting the discussion include; How do people living with HIV/AIDS relate with their family members? What factors influence their family relations? What interventions would improve family life experiences for people living with HIV/AIDS? How are Nurses and Midwives positioning themselves within the HIV/AIDS care cascade in order to respond to the family dynamics? The family which is threatened by HIV/AIDS need information, motivation, care and support to navigate their experiences in a way that prevent maladaptation and family disintegration. Disintegration of the family contributes to existing socioeconomic burden; therefore, the clarion call is for all to arise and save the family through thinking through solutions, demonstrating a heart of love and a hand ready to care for a family living with an HIV reactive member.
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Seminar
Keywords
Disintegration, HIV/AIDS, World health Organisation (WHO), social institution