In the global health community, we often put psychosocial support on the back burner. We’re so focused on efforts with measurable outcomes—dispensing ARVs, building clinics, administering vaccinations—that we often fail to address the less tangible needs of our patients. The fact that they may be experiencing one of the most emotionally challenging periods of their lives doesn’t always get the attention it deserves.

In the context of my work in HIV/AIDS, I cannot fathom the complex emotional reaction to receiving a positive HIV test result.  The importance of counseling provided at the health center, complete with information about options for long term treatment and care, is not to be minimized. But what happens when that person returns to his or her village? How does he or she carry on and decide whether to disclose his or her status to others? The stress of absorbing this life-changing information without robust emotional support is unthinkable to me. The idea of having to do so as a child is even more inconceivable.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to help run an Ariel Club at a health center in southwestern Uganda. Developed and facilitated by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), Ariel Clubs are psychosocial support groups for children living with HIV/AIDS. In addition to visiting the clinic to pick up ARVs and run medical tests, the days are filled with health education, group discussions, and most importantly, playtime, song and dance.

At one point during the day, I was asked on the fly to teach songs to the group. Before I knew it, we had spent thirty minutes doing the hokey pokey, naming virtually every possible body part with no sign of stopping. The kids’ bright smiles and resounding laughter made me realize that just giving them the opportunity to have fun with other children facing the same challenges was what really mattered. Of course, educating them about HIV and ensuring they picked up their drugs was critical, but getting to just be kids in a safe space was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Ariel Clubs are a perfect reminder that improving health isn’t simply about treating an illness, but also addressing the well-being of an entire person, which includes his or her emotional health. I hope knowing that others are going through the same thing reminded the kids at the Ariel Club that they’re not alone. I hope it taught them that they have an emotional support network when they need a boost. I hope it gave them optimism for the future, that they can live healthily and happily with HIV. And I hope it showed them that no one can do this alone; we need to rely on each other and work together to keep them healthy throughout their lives, and ensure that future babies are born free of HIV.

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