Children, HIV/AIDS and Communication in South Africa

Introduction

This review was commissioned by the Center for Communications Programs at Johns Hopkins University to provide insight into issues related to communication of HIV/AIDS to children in the 3-12 year age group, with an emphasis on South Africa.

The brief strives to:

• identify key issues related to children and HIV/AIDS, including discrimination, grief, knowledge, attitudes, and practices;
• determine what programmes have been implemented, both media and non-media, in regard to children and HIV/AIDS;
• provide a comprehensive bibliography of literature in the area;
• conduct supplementary interviews with key stakeholders on the basis of findings from the literature review;
• develop a review of findings.

In this review, "the characteristics of childhood and youth are not necessarily bound by age categories, but rather, can be understood in relation to generally accepted indicators such as financial dependence, responsibility and blameworthiness, and emotional need for primary care."