MSPN – The New Life Center (For Children with HIV/AIDS)

Fact

The scourge of HIV/AIDS has not spared Nepal. Over 64,000  people in Nepal are HIV positive (UNAIDS, 2009). About 25% of this number are women.  Another survey by NCSC shows that 12,65  children are HIV positive (Dec 2011). Although large sums of money have been spent on awareness and prevention advocacy, the needs of Nepali children infected with the virus have not been adequately addressed by the state or the non state organizations.

Our Response

In 2006, in collaboration with the National Center for HIV/AIDS Control (Nepal Government body) and Kanti Children’s Hospital, FNC initiated a new project called the Manisha Singh Punarajivan Niwas, which has been renamed as MSPN – The New Life Center for HIV/AIDS infected children.

Primarily funded by the Nepal Youth Foundation and the  Belgian NGO Fonds Parbati,  MSPN is located in a large residence in Kathmandu and has the capacity to look after 18 children together with a caretaker, usually the mother. To date, MSPN has served over 184 infected children and educated their caretakers on nutrition and health. The usual stay at MSPN is three months. However, owing to the nature of the HIV/AIDS, the relapse of the health conditions of the children is highly likely, and for that reason, these children are frequently readmitted at the center for continued treatment and care.

MSPN aims at prolonging the lives of these children through:

• Diet therapy
• Clinical therapy
• Psychological therapy

The New Life Center equally focuses on recreational activities to add color to the lives of these children. The mothers are trained on how to care for their children psychologically and physically, Once a child’s health is significantly improved, they are sent back home with necessary instructions, drugs and a new habit and behavioral patterns to follow. With additional funding, we also hope to promote awareness and prevention in rural Nepal.

Read more on MSPN and its activities in the Center’s own website