What Works for Women and Girls

for treatment can be safely monitored for immunological status with no mortality andno difference in clinical events compared to treated children in the short-term. HAARTcan be effectively used for HIV-positive children in resource poor settings along withgood nutritional intake and regular medical care (Ble et al., 2007). (Gray III) (orphans,treatment, HAART, Tanzania)A retrospective review in Kenya with 279 children (49% girls and 54% orphans) enrolledat nine HIV clinics between 2002 and 2005 and on antiretroviral therapy (ART) showedthat ART for HIV-positive children produced significant and sustainable CD4 improvementand weight gains during the initial 30 weeks. The study found no effect of orphanstatus on ART adherence or rise in CD4 counts, at least in the short-term. The meanpeak for CD4 percent increase at 30 weeks for orphans was 23% and that for nonorphanswas 24%. The study indicates the feasibility of providing ART to children inresource poor settings (Nyandiko et al., 2006). (Gray III) (treatment, children, orphans,Kenya)4. Psychological counseling and mentoring for OVC improves their psychological well-being.A cluster randomized control trial of a school-based peer-group support interventionwith 326 AIDS orphans (aged 10–15) in Mbarara District, Uganda found that peergroupinterventions when led by teachers and complemented by healthcare check-upssignificantly decreased anxiety, depression and anger among the intervention group.Of the children, 42.6% were double orphans. The intervention provided twice-weeklypeer-group support meetings conducted by a trained teacher over the course of tenweeks and supplemented these sessions with monthly healthcare examinations andtreatment. The support meetings presented topics of concern to orphans through plays,poems, stories and games, asked the orphans to identify the problems embedded in theactivities, inquired whether they had experienced similar issues, explored the causes ofthe problems and their effects on families, and brainstormed solutions. Although thechildren in the intervention group had started out having lower self-concept scores andhigher indications of depression than the control group, the intervention group hadlower scores of anxiety, depression, and anger at baseline. (Kumakech et al., 2009).(Gray II) (support groups, counseling, orphans, Uganda)A study done in Mexico from 2005–2008 with 135 HIV-positive children and adolescents(77 girls) between age 6 and 17 years found that ten sessions of Cognitive ConductualTherapy (CCT) reduced the initial depression level and maintained it for at least 6months after the therapy. Of the 135 HIV-positive children and adolescents, 131 wereinfected by perinatal transmission and 54 were diagnosed with depression (Tovar-Larreaet al., 2008). (Gray III) (children, adolescents, counseling, depression, Mexico)A 2006 follow up survey of an 18-month intervention with 593 youth household heads(equal number of males and females) aged 27 years and under, in Rwanda reported thata mentorship program may mitigate grief among youth. Youth with a mentor showedWHAT WORKS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS361