AEGiS-13IAC: Home-based care (HBC) for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs).

13th International AIDS Conference

Durban, South Africa - July 9-July 14, 2000

Home-based care (HBC) for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs).

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:(abstract no. ThOrB756)

Hancock M, Ngugi E, Gatua E, O'Keeffe C, Sims R, Rouse D
M.Hancock, Mildmay International, 1 Nelson Mews, Southend on Sea, Essex, SS1 1AL, United Kingdom, Tel.: +017 02 39 44 50, Fax: +017 02 39 44 54, E-mail: mildint@globalnet.co.uk

ISSUES: HBC is increasingly being seen as a way of meeting the needs of PLWAs in resource-poor countries. They way in which health workers are trained will impact on their ability to provide effective, appropriate care. Courses available are often of short duration and deal with single topic areas. This paper presents a case for an integrated and longer-term approach to training for HBC. Discussion: Mildmay International (MI) is running two long-term programmes of training for HBC in Kenya. The first, based in Nairobi, is an 18month diploma level programme which is validated by Manchester University, UK. Participants are from government health facilities and non-government organisations (NGOs) in Nairobi and Central Provinces. This course began in January 1999 and ends in June 2000 and has 10 modules. Participants are followed-up between modules by in-country facilitators. A particular focus of the course is development of skills in critical analysis. Participants undertake a number of key activities, including: conducting a needs assessment and preparing a proposal for their own HBC project. The second programme is based in Nyanza Province and runs from January 1999 to April 2000. There is no academic award but participants from government health facilities and NGOs are trained in all the elements needed to enable them to implement HBC for PLWAs. The training has been evaluated through field visits, participatory workshops, interviews with donors, participants and their managers and through the assignments submitted by participants. This paper will provide an overview of both training programmes, a summary of the findings of the evaluation activities and the observations of the MI team regarding factors that have influenced the outcome of training.

CONCLUSION: An integrated and longer-term approach to training is most effective for building capacity in HIV/AIDS care and management.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Home Care Services, Evaluation Studies, Teaching, Health Services Needs and Demand, Needs Assessment, Interviews, Kenya, Education, nursing
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