Tuesday 13 September 2011

Over 170-HIV positive children stigmatised by parents

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Sheilla Sezzy

Over 170 HIV positive children between the age of one and 15 in Ilemela and Nyamagana districts are living without any form of medical care due to stigma from their parents and guardians.

The revelation was made by an HIV/Aids researcher, Dr Alex Margery, when presenting a report by a non governmental organisation that deals with providing services to victims of the disease in Mwanza City. He said research conducted between 2009/10 found that children in that age group did not receive any form of medical care due to stigma by parents and guardians.

He said the failure to expose the children to medical care systems was not due to being too busy but because of the shame of being seen at HIV/Aids centres receiving such services where they thought they would also be viewed by the society as infected persons.

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