Supporting Jjajjas Using a Health Equity Approach: A Scoping Review of the Impact of HIV/AIDS on the Health and Well-being of Grandparents in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Published in: International journal of health, wellness & society wellness & society, 2024-01, Vol.15 (2), p.1
• Main Authors: Beck, Barbra, Rogan, Ali, Hawkins, Maren
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; Caregiver burden; Caregivers; Grandchildren; Grandmothers; Grandparents; Health disparities; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Orphans; Well being
• ISSN: 2156-8960; 2156-9053
• DOI: 10.18848/2156-8960/CGP/v15i02/1-20

As of 2022, there were over 13.9 million children without parents in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from HIV/AIDs alone. Grandparents, particularly grandmothers (jjajjas), have stepped in to care for the children who have lost one or both of their parents. We conducted a scoping review, following PRISMA guidelines, on the literature about grandparents caring for HIV/AIDS orphaned children in SSA using a health equity lens. We identified 464 articles by searching in four separate databases. In total, forty-seven articles met the inclusion criteria. The articles were then independently assessed by the three authors. We assessed the articles for information such as theory applied, results, and common themes. Two themes emerged: one related to the grandparents themselves and one related to the context of the articles themselves. Grandparents faced immense caregiver burdens as they contended with their own process of aging; however, some grandparents also noted pride in caring for their grandchildren. Overall, the studies we reviewed lacked theory-driven creation, and research in this area needs to be theory-driven to help facilitate more robust understandings and solutions. Solutions need to be community-based in an effort to address disparities that caregivers and orphans and vulnerable children face. Policy-based solutions will help eliminate these disparities for future generations.