Orphans and Vulnerable Children - CRIN

All children have the same healthcare needs.

They need preventative healthcare, including:

 Regular medical check-ups done by a healthcare worker, to monitor whether

they are developing properly (this includes children who are disabled or are HIV

positive)

 Immunisation against serious diseases

 Insecticide-treated bed nets, or other means, to prevent malaria

 Good nutrition

 Age-appropriate information about preventing HIV infection.

They also need curative healthcare, including:

 The treatment of any illness or disease with appropriate medication

 Extra nutritional intake if they have been ill

 Regular deworming treatment.

In order for these needs to be met, children also need:

• Parents or guardians to understand the importance of preventative healthcare


• Parents or guardians to know where to seek medical help to treat a child’s illness


• Parents or guardians to seek early medical help to treat a child’s illness


• Access to immunisations through clinics or healthcare programmes


• Access to well-baby and well-child check-ups to make sure that the child does not
  have any developing health problems


• Access to clean water and proper sanitation


• Knowledge about basic good hygiene practices


• Age-appropriate information about universal precautions to prevent HIV infection
  when caring for a sick adult


• Access to healthcare workers, clinics and medicines when they are ill.

Basic Healthcare and the Needs of OVC

In this activity, you will:

 Discuss the general healthcare needs of children

Facilitator’s notes:

Good health is defined as ‘the complete physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being of the
child, not merely the absence of disease’ (WHO). All children have the same healthcare
needs, but vulnerable children may lack access to these basic needs to ensure their health.
In this session, you will discuss some of these general requirements for the physical health
of children.

Activity 1

Guide to Mobilising and Strengthening Community-Led Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Unit 2, Module 3^239