Psychosocial issues affecting orphans and vulnerable children in two South African communities

Understanding the general health status of children aged 18 years and below in relation to the HIV epidemic is paramount in South Africa - a country that has both the highest number of adults and children living with HIV/AIDS in the world.

In 2002, the Human Sciences Research Council was commissioned by the WK Kellogg Foundation to develop and implement a five-year intervention project focusing on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in southern Africa. In collaboration with several partner organisations, the project currently focuses on how children, families and communities in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe are coping with the impact of HIV/AIDS. The aim of the project is to develop models of best practise so as to enhance and improve support structures for OVC in the southern African region as a whole.

Currently 6.4 million people in South Africa live with HIV, this figure represents a quarter of the burden of HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa and 18 per cent of the global burden. With this view, the South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behaviour Survey, 2012 is a crucial report for government, policy makers and other stakeholders as they work towards reducing the HIV epidemic in South Africa.

This 2012 HIV survey is the fourth in the series of national population-based surveys. The survey was
conducted from December 2011 to November 2012. As with previous surveys, it was designed to investigate the overall HIV prevalence, incidence and behaviour as well as social determinants that drive the epidemic. It also served to collect data to help monitor the National Strategic Plan 20072011 and set the baseline for the 20122016 NSP. This report is a must-read and essential for researchers who want to understand the HIV dynamics in South Africa.

Mental health promotion strives to improve mental health through developing ways of adjusting and coping with challenges. These strategies are at the heart of human development and can strengthen social and economic outcomes, and are especially important in low to middle income countries where hardship is common, and where the emphasis has been solely on care and treatment of people with mental illness.