[Tayla Oshry]

#86293

I have a patient that has stage V HIV and is constantly admitted due to his extremely high viral load. His mother is very compliant in hospital with his medication regime however as soon as he is discharged she stops all treatment in favour of traditional healing. I feel like it would be so beneficial for this child and most likely other children if a relationship was developed between hospital medical teams and traditional medical teams in order to fully treat this child and his family with cultural competence.

[Bev Gibson]

#86372

It is so sad when the very people who have been entrusted with the health of these little people are the very ones responsible for their failing heath! How do we change this narrative?
I remember when I was in junior school there was a very effective campaign to decrease littering and pollution in our communities and we were introduced to Zibi, the ostrich who taught kids to “Zap it in a Zibi can!”. This campaign targeted kids at school who were taught the harmful effects of littering on the environment and our own personal health and wellbeing. These kids then became their parent’s consciences and challenged them when they littered too (my dad was most put out when little voices from the back seat of the car admonished him for being a “Litter-bug’ when he flicked his stompies out the car window while driving!).
Should we be looking at something like that to try to foster a cultural collaboration between the Department of Health (and other healthcare providers), the parents and the children who are suffering, to educated children of school going ages? Creating a character, a superhero of sorts to educate children (and in turn their parents/ guardians), so we can break the cycle of non-compliance and stigma and foster a healthy lifestyle of adherence for the best interest of ‘our’ children?

• This reply was modified 2 months, 2 weeks ago by Bev Gibson.

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