AEGiS-13IAC: Assement of AIDS home care and counseling programs i Uganda.

13th International AIDS Conference


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

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Assement of AIDS home care and counseling programs i Uganda.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:(abstract no. TuOrB362)

Sentumbwe S, Nakazi SD
S. Sentumbwe, Centre for peace research PO Box 127 85, Kampala, Uganda, Tel.: +256 41 34 00 84, Fax: +256 41 34 00 84

Back ground: To identify and document innovative and new creative approaches to AIDS care and counseling that have resulted into high quality programming for People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWA).

METHODS: Multiple data collection methods were used which included; i) Key informant interviews with program managers ii) Focus group discussions with PLWA iii) Observation data iv) Document review. The data collected was analyzed qualitatively. A total of 26 Home care programs (HCP) were enrolled for the assessment both rural and urban.

FINDINGS: Most home care and counseling programs had coverage of 10-50 km radius and out reach centres. Most programs used a comprehensive approach to AIDS care. Care innovations included medical care, pre-test, post-test and on-going counseling, pastoral care, home visits and care, support to income generating activities, behavioral change programs, material assistance and training of home care givers. New creative approaches that had evolved included client participation in service delivery, integration of prevention and reproductive health services in care and counseling activities, post-test club, children's memory project, rescue fund among PLWA, revolving loan scheme, help-line for anonymous counseling, and AIDS orphan care and support initiatives. Progress has also been made towards community based AIDS care as well as attaining institutional and financial self-sustainability through capacity building and local fund raising.

CONCLUSIONS: The holistic approach to home AIDS care and counseling has improved the quality of life of PLWA through medical care, psychosocial and material support. Lessons learned from Uganda's experience should be widely disseminated and adopted to other affected communities.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Counseling, Home Care Services, HIV Infections, Foster Home Care, Community Health Services, Caregivers, Focus Groups, Uganda, Child, nursingKWDaegis,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,counseling,homecareservices,hivinfections,fosterhomecare,communityhealthservices,caregivers,focusgroups,uganda,child,nursing
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TuOrB362

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