According to the report compiled by the Southern Africa HIV and AIDS
Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS), Health & Development Networks
and Irish Aid, volunteer caregivers are at the fore front of home-based care
(HBC) services in Zimbabwe, especially in communities where anti-HIV drugs
are not available.
“Despite the burdens being faced by caregivers in Zimbabwe, HBC is still one
of the most cost-effective ways to deal with illness in the context of a
crumbling health system,” states the report titled: Caring From Within.
Caregivers provide basic first aid and counselling to HIV/AIDS patients, as
well as training family members on how to provide that care. Often they
perform household chores such as fetching water, doing laundry or collecting
firewood, all aimed at lightening the burden of disease on the client.
The report called for more international donor support to reach community
level care workers so that they have access to basic resources such as
simple medications, soap or even gloves so that their role is not limited to
providing psychological support.
“HBC activities need to be adequately resourced so that timely and high
quality care is delivered to those in need,” says David Parirenyatwa,
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Health and Child Welfare in the foreword to the
report.
“That is why it is vitally important for the government, the private sector
and funding agencies to partner with civil society and to provide
significantly more funding to these projects.”
The report added that programmes that integrate health, economic and social
services, including water and sanitation facilities, were required to
respond to the needs of infected and affected people.
Home-based caregivers – most of whom are volunteers who are themselves
living with or directly affected by HIV/AIDS – play a vital role in propping
up an overwhelmed Zimbabwean public health system that is failing to cope
with the demands of the epidemic.
However, much of their work remains unpaid, unaccounted for and undervalued
in economic terms despite its critical contribution to the overall economy
and society in general.
“The documentation of home based care work in Zimbabwe is a significant step
in sharpening our programming priorities in the country, and possibly
elsewhere,” said Peter Power, Irish overseas development minister.
Irish Aid, Ireland’s official programme of assistance to developing
countries, funded the project and has supported 15 HBC initiatives in
Zimbabwe since 2005.
“Reducing the impact of HIV and AIDS on communities in developing countries
is a priority for Irish Aid and documenting lessons learned is an essential
component to shaping effective responses,” Power said.
The report urged international donors to acknowledge the success that has
been registered by HBC projects in Zimbabwe under very difficult conditions
and be prepared to channel much needed funds to community-level home-based
care work.
According to UNICEF, Zimbabwe has nearly 2 million orphaned children, mainly
due to AIDS. – ZimOnline
Post published in: News