Children care for AIDS sufferers

A pioneering study in South Africa, led by Oxford University, is examining the plight of children who care for parents or relatives who have AIDS. Despite the prevalence of the disease in this region, there is little research into this 'invisible' workforce of carers and the toll that it takes on them. A key part of the study is to examine whether a parent becoming sicker with AIDS can be directly linked to the young carer feeling more depressed or more traumatised, and whether it leads to them missing school. The two-year study, the first major study to be carried out into child carers of AIDS sick adults, will involve interviews with 6,000 children and adolescents. The research team is talking to child carers of adults with AIDS and adults who are sick with other diseases, as well as children living with healthy adults. The researchers are to interview 1,500 adults - the parents, relatives and guardians of the children. The South African government is committed to using the research findings to inform its social welfare policy.