Browsing by Author "Cluver, Lucie"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Adolescent mothers affected by HIV and their children : a scoping review of evidence and experiences from sub-Saharan Africa
    (Taylor & Francis, 2020-06-06) Toska, Elona; Laurenzi, Christina A.; Roberts, Kathryn J.; Cluver, Lucie; Sherr, Lorraine
    While adolescents have received increasing attention in the global HIV response and international strategies and commitments, adolescent mothers and their children remain largely overlooked in research, funding and, programming for health-related outcomes. We conducted an extensive scoping review of current evidence on the experiences of adolescent mothers affected by HIV and their children in this region. We included published literature and conference abstracts, complemented by consultations with key stakeholders, and a review of documents through grey literature searching. First, we summarise the experiences of adolescent mothers and their children related to HIV and key health and development indicators. The syndemic of early motherhood and HIV in sub-Saharan Africa increases the vulnerability of adolescent mothers and their children. We then highlight lessons from a series of promising programmes focused on supporting adolescent mothers through novel approaches. In sub-Saharan Africa, supporting adolescent mothers living in high HIV-risk communities is critical not only to eliminate HIV/AIDS, but also to attain the Sustainable Development Goals. While research on and programming for adolescent mothers and their children is growing, the complex needs for this vulnerable group remain unmet. We conclude with evidence gaps and programming priorities for adolescent mothers affected by HIV and their children.
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    Early intervention : a foundation for lifelong violence prevention
    (Institute for Security Studies, 2015-03) Skeen, Sarah; Tomlinson, Mark; Ward, Catherine L.; Cluver, Lucie; Lachman, Jamie M .
    High levels of violence affect every family in South Africa. Exposure to violence starts early, in both the home and community. There are high levels of physical abuse of children, and the national under-five homicide rate is more than double that of other low- and middle-income countries. Rates of violence are particularly high in poorer communities in the country, and many children already made vulnerable by poverty are also at risk from increased exposure to violence.
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    Evaluating the dissemination and scale-up of two evidence-based parenting interventions to reduce violence against children : study protocol
    (BMC (part of Springer Nature), ) Shenderovich, Yulia; Ward, Catherine L.; Lachman, Jamie M.; Wessels, Inge; Sacolo-Gwebu, Hlengiwe; Okop, Kufre; Oliver, Daniel; Ngcobo, Lindokuhle L.; Tomlinson, Mark; Fang, Zuyi; Janowski, Roselinde; Hutchings, Judy; Gardner, Frances; Cluver, Lucie
    Background: Eliminating violence against children is a prominent policy goal, codified in the Sustainable Development Goals, and parenting programs are one approach to preventing and reducing violence. However, we know relatively little about dissemination and scale-up of parenting programs, particularly in low- and middleincome countries (LMICs). The scale-up of two parenting programs, Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) for Young Children and PLH for Parents and Teens, developed under Creative Commons licensing and tested in randomized trials, provides a unique opportunity to study their dissemination in 25 LMICs. Methods: The Scale-Up of Parenting Evaluation Research (SUPER) study uses a range of methods to study the dissemination of these two programs. The study will examine (1) process and extent of dissemination and scale-up, (2) how the programs are implemented and factors associated with variation in implementation, (3) violence against children and family outcomes before and after program implementation, (4) barriers and facilitators to sustained program delivery, and (5) costs and resources needed for implementation. Primary data collection, focused on three case study projects, will include interviews and focus groups with program facilitators, coordinators, funders, and other stakeholders, and a summary of key organizational characteristics. Program reports and budgets will be reviewed as part of relevant contextual information. Secondary data analysis of routine data collected within ongoing implementation and existing research studies will explore family enrolment and attendance, as well as family reports of parenting practices, violence against children, child behavior, and child and caregiver wellbeing before and after program participation. We will also examine data on staff sociodemographic and professional background, and their competent adherence to the program, collected as part of staff training and certification. Discussion: This project will be the first study of its kind to draw on multiple data sources and methods to examine the dissemination and scale-up of a parenting program across multiple LMIC contexts. While this study reports on the implementation of two specific parenting programs, we anticipate that our findings will be of relevance across the field of parenting, as well as other violence prevention and social programs.
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    Improving early childhood care and development, HIV-testing, treatment and support, and nutrition in Mokhotlong, Lesotho : study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial
    (BioMed Central, 2016-11-09) Tomlinson, Mark; Skeen, Sarah; Marlow, Marguerite; Cluver, Lucie; Cooper, Peter; Murray, Lynne; Mofokeng, Shoeshoe; Morley, Nathene; Makhetha, Moroesi; Gordon, Sarah; Esterhuizen, Tonya; Sherr, Lorraine
    Background: Since 1990, the lives of 48 million children under the age of 5 years have been saved because of increased investments in reducing child mortality. However, despite these unprecedented gains, 250 million children younger than 5 years in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) cannot meet their developmental potential due to poverty, poor health and nutrition, and lack of necessary stimulation and care. Lesotho has high levels of poverty, HIV, and malnutrition, all of which affect child development outcomes. There is a unique opportunity to address these complex issues through the widespread network of informal preschools in rural villages in the country, which provide a setting for inclusive, integrated Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and HIV and nutrition interventions. Methods: We are conducting a cluster randomised controlled trial in Mokhotlong district, Lesotho, to evaluate a newly developed community-based intervention program to integrate HIV-testing and treatment services, ECCD, and nutrition education for caregivers with children aged 1–5 years living in rural villages. Caregivers and their children are randomly assigned by village to intervention or control condition. We select, train, and supervise community health workers recruited to implement the intervention, which consists of nine group-based sessions with caregivers and children over 12 weeks (eight weekly sessions, and a ninth top-up session 1 month later), followed by a locally hosted community health outreach day event. Group-based sessions focus on using early dialogic book-sharing to promote cognitive development and caregiver-child interaction, health-related messages, including motivation for HIV-testing and treatment uptake for young children, and locally appropriate nutrition education. All children aged 1–5 years and their primary caregivers living in study villages are eligible for participation. Caregivers and their children will be interviewed and assessed at baseline, after completion of the intervention, and 12 months post intervention. Discussion: This study provides a unique opportunity to assess the potential of an integrated early childhood development intervention to prevent or mitigate developmental delays in children living in a context of extreme poverty and high HIV rates in rural Lesotho. This paper presents the intervention content and research protocol for the study.
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    Parenting in a time of COVID-19
    (Elsevier, 2020) Cluver, Lucie; Lachman, Jamie M.; Sherr, Lorraine; Wessels, Inge; Krug, Etienne; Rakotomalala, Sabine; Blight, Stephen; Hillis, Susan; Bachmand, Gretchen; Green, Ohad; Butchart, Alex; Tomlinson, Mark; Ward, Catherine L.; Doubt, Jennifer; McDonald, Kerida
    Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is changing family life. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization estimates 1·38 billion children are out of school or child care, without access to group activities, team sports, or playgrounds. Parents and caregivers are attempting to work remotely or unable to work, while caring for children, with no clarity on how long the situation will last. For many people, just keeping children busy and safe at home is a daunting prospect. For those living in low-income and crowded households, these challenges are exacerbated.