This report evaluates the efficacy of community based organisations and discusses the need for the evaluation of community based care for children living in HIV communities. Per this document, there are a number of challenges faced in evaluating community-based programs for children living in HIV affected communities. Many communities have limited research capacity. The document mentions an imbalance of priorities for certain provisions. There are also issues of ethics when considering randomized trials.
The study discussed in this report collected data from South Africa, Malawi and Zambia. It recruited 1228 children between the ages 4 and 13 from 34 community based organisations. The study collected information on demographics, health, nutrition, education, and social and psychological factors. The study compared outcomes of children who were receiving interventions with those who were not. The study found that Community Based Organisations provided important services for children living in HIV affected areas.
