title: Recommendations for the medical evaluation of children prior to adoption in South Africa.
abstract: The current legislative framework in South Africa (SA) supports adoption as the preferred form of care for children with inadequate or no parental or family support. There are an estimated 3.8 million orphans in SA, with approximately 1.5 - 2 million children considered adoptable. As a means of improving services, newly drafted adoption guidelines from the National Department of Social Development will in future require both non-profit and private sector adoption agencies to obtain a medical report on a child prior to placement. However, no local guidelines specify what an appropriate medical examination entails or how it should be reported. For the purposes of proposing and developing such guidelines, an open forum was convened at the Institute of Pathology, University of Pretoria, in March 2013. These 'Recommendations for the medical evaluation of children prior to adoption in South Africa' emanate from this meeting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Virology, Tshwane Academic Division, National Health Laboratory Service; University of Pretoria, South Africa. ahmad.haerimazanderani@up.ac.za.
authors.forename: Ahmad F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Haeri Mazanderani
authors.forename: Nicolette M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: du Plessis
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lumb
authors.forename: Ute D
authors.initials: UD
authors.lastname: Feucht
authors.forename: Marcelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Myburgh
authors.forename: Simnikiwe H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mayaphi
authors.forename: Molebogeng R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lekalakala
authors.forename: De Wet
authors.initials: de W
authors.lastname: Swanepoel
authors.forename: Hellen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Georgakis
authors.forename: Theunis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Avenant
mesh_terms: D000300:Adoption; D002648:Child; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000592:standards; D013020:South America