Thesis & Dissertations

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Browsing Thesis & Dissertations by Author "Bilesi, Rosemary"

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    Experiences of community home based care volunteers in HIV and AIDS care in Dowa district
    (2016-05-01) Bilesi, Rosemary
    Malawi like many countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa is burdened by chronic and terminal illnesses including AIDS. As more people live with HIV and AIDS, home based care which utilizes community home based care (CHBC) volunteers’ remains necessary. The study was carried out with the aim of exploring the experiences of CHBC volunteers in HIV and AIDS care in Dowa district. The nature of the study was exploratory and descriptive which used qualitative methods. Individual in-depth interviews were carried out with CHBC volunteers (n=15). Thematic analysis of the data was done which was guided by framework approach. Findings of the study showed humane factors as motivators to join CHBC work emerging more than personal factors. There was less patient workload whilst common roles were household chores and basic nursing care. Common sources of support were from within the community but lacked adequate technical support from healthcare workers. CHBC volunteers felt frustrated and helpless because of lacking resources like CHBC kits and transport. This resulted into walking long distances and making money contributions for buying drugs and hiring transport for their patients. The study recommended that District Health Offices (DHOs) should orient healthcare workers on CHBC and conduct integrated supervision for community based health programs including CHBC. Furthermore, CHBC volunteer trainings should continue to enable them handle emerging conditions. CBOs should reduce donor dependency and resort to owning sustainable income generating activities (IGAs) like commercial farming.