Pediatric HIV Disclosure Intervention

With increased availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and improved care, increasing numbers of perinatally infected children are surviving into adolescence. While HIV care and treatment programs are expanding, growing challenge faced by health providers and caregivers is diagnosis disclosure to HIV infected children. The investigators propose a 4 year project to test the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioural intervention that the investigators have designed to support developmentally appropriate disclosure to HIV infected children by their caregiver. The investigators hypothesize that the intervention will lead to increased disclosure rates and will over time improve health and mental health outcomes among caregivers and children in the intervention group compared to those receiving standard care. The findings of the study will inform Ugandan and other countries' national policies on pediatric HIV care and treatment.