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Abstract
As health-care services in Nigeria and other African countries are becoming overstrained with patients, home-based care has increasingly been touted as a possible solution. The faith-based organisation, Gospel Health and Development Services, provides a home-based care programme for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) residing in Plateau State, Nigeria. This paper assesses the challenges that PLWHA in the programme faced while maintaining their health and livelihoods. The frustrations that volunteers endured in performing their work are also described, as well as the benefits and weaknesses of the programme from the perspective of PLWHA and their volunteer caregivers. Focus groups and interviews were done with 30 PLWHA and 22 volunteers to learn about their experiences with the home-based care programme and possible areas for its improvement. From these discussions three major challenges facing PLWHA emerged: discrimination towards PLWHA; the lack of money, food, and transport to health-care centres; and the desire for closer antiretroviral drug access.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my project supervisor, Dr Rachel Baggaley, with Christian Aid UK, for providing me with this opportunity and helping me during my research. I would also like to thank my tutor at LSHTM, Dr Charlotte Watts, for helping me hone my methodology, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Trust Fund for their grant that covered my travel costs. I would like to extend thanks to the staff at Christian Aid Nigeria for their support and also give thanks to all the staff at GHaDS (especially Rev Noel Bewarang, Anna Dimka, Comfort Katu, Grace Idoko, Salome Sambo, Joe B, Shuaibu and Joe D) for their help and enthusiasm during the data collection. I am also extremely appreciative and grateful to the community volunteers and PLWHA for sharing their experiences with me and inspiring me with their work and hope.