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Caring from within: key findings and policy recommendations on home-based care in Zimbabwe

Implementing home based care projects in Zimbabwe

Authors: ; Health and Development Networks (HDN)
Publisher: Southern Africa HIV/AIDS Information Dissemination Service , 2008

Full text of document

In Zimbabwe, as in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, home-based care (HBC) plays a vital role in the response to HIV, as overwhelmed public health systems fail to meet care needs. This joint publication from HDN and SAfAIDS provides an overview of experiences and lessons learned in the implementation of eight Irish aid-funded projects in Zimbabwe. The document guides HBC implementers, policymakers, regional and international organisations, and donors in designing and prioritising HBC programmes, creating policies and targeting funding to make a real difference to people’s lives at the local level. In addition to summarising the main findings of the current project, it presents sets of specific recommendations.

The authors show how various policy gaps currently hamper the efficient and effective delivery of HBC services and, amongst other advice, recommend that practical, clear guidelines should be developed to promote the recruitment and involvement of men in care work, including HBC services. An extensive list of recommendations is provided relating to care giving in HBC. The authors highlight how caregivers are at the heart of HBC interventions and therefore appropriate policies and guidelines should be put in place to provide incentives and psychosocial support to caregivers. The document details how effective partnerships between affected communities, NGOs, governments and international organisations are essential to HBC and this should be reflected in future HBC-related policies. Community involvement is also praised as it helps to strengthen HBC activities, but the authors warn that implementers and policymakers must ensure that many people in the community are involved as care-givers.