Memisa and home care for AIDS patients in Zambia
Reijer, P.J.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde 143(3): 162-165
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-2162 PMID: 10086134 Document Number: 283417
In Zambia more than 1.2 million people have been infected with HIV since the beginning of the epidemic in 1983-84, and approximately 300,000 people have developed AIDS since then. Home care for such patients has been organized either through health care institutions (involving visits once every two weeks or a month to the home by medical and nursing personnel) or through the community with outside support, mainly from a nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as Memisa. In 1991 a home care program for chronically ill patients was launched by the bishopric of Ndola in the province of Copperbelt. In 5 towns with 400,000-450,000 inhabitants, home care projects were initiated for these patients, who constitute more than 90% of cases of symptomatic HIV infections. Palliative care has evolved over the years toward a holistic form of care consisting of a combination of medical treatment, psychological and pastoral support, counseling and, in some cases, material assistance. The results of the home care are that the quality of the lives of terminal patients have improved, the community has fully accepted the projects, the volunteers and nurses are more alert to the symptoms of serious opportunistic infections, the treatment of tuberculosis has improved, and more openness about AIDS and HIV infection has made possible a positive life concept for many patients. The project also provides support (school fees, clothes, food for children) for the families of patients. Income-generating projects also provide sources of income--mainly for women whose income has been lost as a result of AIDS. In 1996 this project assisted approximately 6000 patients and their families.