AEGiS-15IAC: Community provision of palliative care for people living with AIDS in rural Cambodia.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Community provision of palliative care for people living with AIDS in rural Cambodia.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. MoOrD1027)

Prang CP, Prang CP, Khut OK
Family Health International Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

ISSUES: In rural areas of Cambodia palliative care services are virtually unknown and non-existent. Care of the dying is done by family members who often lack appropriate knowledge and skills. Experience has shown that people living with AIDS who face death feel frightened and stressed. This fear creates a vicious cycle, exacerbates insomnia, lack of appetite and increases pain. It also builds barriers to communicating with family members and friends, and increases affected family members anxiety.

DESCRIPTION: In a rural district of Battambang province Cambodia, a community network has been established to support palliative care for people living with AIDS. Community volunteers teach family members how to care for their sick member. People living with AIDS are helped to come to terms and prepare for dying through the writing of family histories and memory books. Older people or monks teach meditation in people's homes or at the temple.

LESSONS LEARNED: The community network and families affected by HIV/AIDS have improved knowledge and skills concerning caring for common health problems, universal precautions and provision of spiritual and psychosocial support. Members of families are observed to treat diarrhea correctly and are able to reduce mouth pain by using locally available herbs, Patient, families and relatives come to discuss who should take care of children after parents die. Local authorities intervene to ensure the safekeeping of children's heritage. The provision of community palliative care is an effective way to help terminally ill people achieve peace and prepare for their family's future. Recommendation: Establishment of strong networks with health and support service staff in the volunteer's area is important. There is an urgent need for more effective pain relief that can be easily administered at community level in Cambodia.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Residence Characteristics, Palliative Care, HIV Infections, Rural Population, Health Services Needs and Demand, Health Services Accessibility, Health, Family, Cambodia, Health Services, Health Planning Guidelines, Demography, Social Environment, Delivery of Health Care, Death, Counseling, Child, Humans

040711
MoOrD1027