Exploring the experiences of school-going children with HIV in Eswatini: A qualitative inquiry

Background: Infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a major disease in children, affecting an estimated 1.8 million children and adolescents worldwide. Eswatini has the highest prevalence of HIV in the world. Only 76% of children in Eswatini are on anti-retroviral treatment. Aim: This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experience of schoolgoing children with HIV in Eswatini. Being aware of these children’s experiences can assist schools in supporting them. Setting: The study was conducted in four primary health care facilities in Eswatini. Methods: Employing a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive research design, 12 school-going children with HIV were interviewed through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The data were coded, categorised and clustered into themes and sub-themes using Georgi’s data analysis. Ethical considerations and measures to ensure trustworthiness were adhered to throughout the study. Results: The findings revealed three themes: Experiences after HIV disclosure, experience of disclosure and discrimination, and experience of desire to fulfil educational needs. Six subthemes were identified: A feeling of sadness and worry relating to knowledge of HIV diagnosis, a desire to disclose their status to their teachers but not to their peers, a need for protection against discrimination, a desire to learn, illness affecting their learning and expectation for teachers to be supportive in their educational needs. Conclusion and contribution: The findings of the study guided recommendations that may assist, the Eswatini Ministry of Health, schools, parents and caregivers, and siblings to support school-going children with HIV.