Community Attitude to Home Care for Persons With Aids: A Case Study of Alavanyo Sub-District in the Volta Region
Date
2003-08
Authors
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Publisher
University of Ghana
Abstract
AIDS is a disease caused by the HIV that attacks and damages the body’s immune
system rendering it incapacitated to fight infection. It has a long incubation period of
between two to fifteen or even twenty years (MoH, 2001). The disease condition is
usually associated with long period of hospitalization and very high expenditure (MoH,
2001, Nabila et al, 2001). This has prompted the need to consider alternate ways of caring
for PLWHA. Home-based care where patients would receive the care they need in their
usual place of residence is one option considered to reduce expenditure significantly. The
success of home-based care would however depend on the care patients receive within
the home with co-operation from community members. It is in the light of this that this
study seeks to identify knowledge of HIV/AIDS among community members, their
reaction to PLWHA and their attitudes to home care for patients.
The study which has both quantitative and qualitative forms was conducted in the
Alavanyo sub-district in the Volta region of Ghana. Respondents were sampled from the
only urban community in the sub-district and two rural communities. It was a descriptive
survey and in all 273 respondents were interviewed. All respondents had ever heard of
HIV/AIDS. Ninety-two percent of respondents knew it could be prevented and many
were knowledgeable about the prevention methods. Generally, knowledge was found to
be very high. However, AIDS was not perceived as a problem. Just about 24 % of respondents thought AIDS was a problem. About 41 % could not tell whether AIDS was
a problem whilst 26 % were of the opinion that AIDS was not a problem. About 83 % of
respondents were willing to live in the same house with an infected person, whereas 78 %
were willing to share the same bathroom with PLWHA. Almost 90 % of respondents
were of the opinion that PLWHA should be given some form of care. However, 43.5 %
opted for the provision of home care whilst 44.2% identified hospital care as a preferred
place of care for PLWHA.
Peoples' reaction to PLWA regarding living together and sharing the same bathroom, was
very positive. The study showed that almost equal number of people would want either
hospital care or home care for PLWA. The choice of hospital care for PLWA could be
based on poverty of caregivers, stigmatization of family members and eventual death of
the PLWA.
The element of stigma can not be ruled out as the qualitative component of the study
showed that PLWHA tended to be avoided by even some close relations. Denial of the
disease among infected persons and their relations exist.
There is the need to embark on intensified education and pragmatic measures to minimize
stigma and denial. Support for PLWHA and their caregivers is a very important step that
could greatly minimize stigma and denial and at the same time improve upon the well
being of both the infected and affected and for that matter promote home-based care.
Financial assistance, medication and counseling services for PLWHA and caregivers are
essential in the success of home-based care.
Description
Thesis(MPH)-University of Ghana, 2003
Keywords
Home Care, Persons With Aids, Community Attitude, Volta Region