St. Joseph's Home for Children established the Sunflower medical ward in 2002 in response to the overcrowding of HIV infected babies and young children in acute hospitals. Sunflower's 25 beds have enabled hospitals to free up critical care beds, with St. Joseph's providing a medical step down facility. Since 2002 St. Joseph's has cared for over 500 children in our Sunflower Ward.

Our treatment involves weight gain, reduction and treatment of opportunistic infections, developmental stimulation through physio- and occupational therapy, and through the administering of Anti Retroviral medication. Sunflower accepts children from birth up to 6 years of age. Older children with HIV/AIDS are cared for in our other medical wards. Each year 100,000 children in South Africa are born HIV positive, and 30% of those children will not live to see their 2nd birthday. St. Joseph's is an important part of the HIV/AIDS solution for South Africa.