HIV/AIDS Policy

What is HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. It is an infectious disease caused by a virus. Over time the virus attacks and destroys the body’s immune system. HIV/Aids Spreads Through contact of mucous membranes or openings in the skin with infected blood and body fluids that contain blood, semen and cervical discharges. Breastfeeding, dirty needles or sharp instruments. Mother passes to infant before birth, sexual contact.

HIV/AIDS is NOT spread through the type of contact that occurs in childcare and school settings such as touching, hugging, playing, feeding or by contact with surfaces touched by infected people. It is not spread by saliva, tears, urine or kissing.

The purpose of education about HIV/AIDS is to prevent the spread of HIV infection, to allay excessive fears of the epidemic, to reduce the stigma attached to it and to instill non-discriminatory attitudes towards persons with HIV/AIDS. This education should ensure that learners and students acquire agenda context-appropriate knowledge and skills in order that they may adopt and maintain behaviour that will protect them from HIV infection.

No one with HIV infection should be denied the opportunity to be part of this home care as long as they are able to do so. HIV infection does not pose a significant risk to others in this home care so long as the necessary precautions are followed, so there is no reason to deny infected children and care givers the same rights as others. The law does not allow children or care givers in our home to be forced to have HIV tests. Akhanani Home Base will abide by this ruling. Genuinely voluntary disclosure of a child’s HIV status will be welcomed. Caregivers who are given such information must be prepared to treat it as confidential and ensure that no unfair discrimination follows from it.

The risk of transmission of HIV in the day-day home care activities or in the context of physical injuries, can be effectively eliminated by following standard infection-control procedures or precautionary measures and good hygiene practices under all circumstances. This would imply that in situations of potential exposure, such as in dealing with accidental or other physical injuries, or medical intervention in the home premises in case of illness, all person should be considered as potentially infected an their blood and body fluids treaded as such.

Strict to universal precautions under all circumstances in Akhanani Home Base is advised. Current scientific evidence suggest that the risk of HIV transmission during sport and play activities is insignificant. Adequate wound management has to take place in our home or on the sports field or playground when the children sustains an open bleeding wound.

Policy adoption date: 16 January 2010

Contact: Akhanani HB Health Unit.