Home and community based care program assessment for people living with HIV/AIDS in Arba Minch, Southern Ethiopia

Exploring The Challenges Faced by Informal Home Based Palliative (HBP) Caregivers in Ndola District, Zambia

In order to explore informal Home-based palliative caregivers' challenging experiences, this study gives an overview of the need of Home-based palliative caregivers in communities. Dialogs using In-depth interviews (IDI's) with twenty-five (25) purposively and conveniently selected respondents aged 18 years and over were conducted. They were not professional caregivers but volunteers from within the community attached to health facilities in Ndola. Discussions on global, Africa and Zambian' situations, and Ndola in particular were included. The findings, using thematic analysis, were lack of supporting resources, inadequate coordination, lack of training, undesirable working conditions and unreliable transport network. The study will facilitate formulation of guiding principles and policies for palliative care practices through recommendations based on results from this study to improve and sustain palliative care services.

Palliative care needs in Malawi: Care received by people living with HIV

Background

Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has changed from an acute to a chronic illness in the past decade, because of highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART). Malawi’s response to the HIV challenge included provision of ART for people living with HIV or AIDS (PLWHA), which significantly reduced HIV- and AIDS-related mortality. In addition, palliative care for PLWHA was introduced as a strategy that improves the success of ART.

Objective

The purpose of the study was to explore the needs of PLWHA concerning care received from primary caregivers and palliative care nurses in Malawi.

Methods

A qualitative, explorative design was used and 18 participants were selected purposefully and interviewed individually using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were analysed using NVivo software package version 10.

Results

Results revealed that PLWHA needed physical care from the primary caregivers due to severity of illness, integration of healthcare services, and continuity of care and proper care from nurses. They also needed knowledge from nurses in several areas which affected decision-making and needed financial and nutritional support.

Conclusion

More could be done in meeting needs of PLWHA to improve their health and survival and assist them to achieve a better quality of life.

Twenty-first century palliative care: a tale of four nations

Hospice and palliative care development, in terms of availability and services, occur to varying degrees in the developing world. In this paper, the evolution of palliative care practices in four developing nations (Nigeria, Georgia, Ethiopia and Tanzania) is described. By highlighting common problems as well as the unique individual perspectives of each country's practice, this paper aims at increasing global awareness of palliative care in the developing world. While the call for palliative care to become a fundamental human right is sustained, it is also hoped that this article will stimulate a global discussion on the best possible way to encourage the establishment and growth of palliative care services in other developing countries where hitherto it has not been in existence, with policymakers and healthcare professionals taking the lead through the institution of sound national policies to promote and provide palliative care to all citizenry.