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Home Care - 3.1 People Living with HIV/AIDS
3.1 People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA)
The primary stakeholders in the home care programme are PLHA, and it is with them that the programme is having the greatest impact.
“Home Care is crucial to my life; if it wasn’t for the Home Care Team I’m sure I would be dead by now”, [woman, age 37, Tonlé Bassac]
While HIV/AIDS is not itself a disease of poverty, it often flourishes in conditions of poverty. Poverty increases vulnerability to infection and limits the resources available to cope with disease. Poor people and marginalised groups often have the greatest difficulty accessing care and support services. Studies show that notions of blame for women with HIV may influence the amount and quality of care provided to women (15) . By treating women in their homes, the programme is increasing equitable access, and going some way to providing women-friendly services.
An increasing proportion of PLHA referred to the HCTs are women, who now make up 60% of home care patients in Phnom Penh. Because of the geographical areas in which the HCTs operate, the vast majority of PLHA visited by the HCTs are from the poorest and most vulnerable sections of society.
“The Home Care Team only gives us a little help, but it makes a big difference to us; I think it’s the difference between life and death”, [‘retired’ sex-worker, age 43, homeless, now married with 3 children; Wat Phnom (16)].
Footnotes
(15) Gilks et al. 1998 op.cit.
(16) Area in Phnom Penh visited by one of the Home Care Teams
The primary stakeholders in the home care programme are PLHA, and it is with them that the programme is having the greatest impact.
“Home Care is crucial to my life; if it wasn’t for the Home Care Team I’m sure I would be dead by now”, [woman, age 37, Tonlé Bassac]
While HIV/AIDS is not itself a disease of poverty, it often flourishes in conditions of poverty. Poverty increases vulnerability to infection and limits the resources available to cope with disease. Poor people and marginalised groups often have the greatest difficulty accessing care and support services. Studies show that notions of blame for women with HIV may influence the amount and quality of care provided to women (15) . By treating women in their homes, the programme is increasing equitable access, and going some way to providing women-friendly services.
An increasing proportion of PLHA referred to the HCTs are women, who now make up 60% of home care patients in Phnom Penh. Because of the geographical areas in which the HCTs operate, the vast majority of PLHA visited by the HCTs are from the poorest and most vulnerable sections of society.
“The Home Care Team only gives us a little help, but it makes a big difference to us; I think it’s the difference between life and death”, [‘retired’ sex-worker, age 43, homeless, now married with 3 children; Wat Phnom (16)].
Footnotes
(15) Gilks et al. 1998 op.cit.
(16) Area in Phnom Penh visited by one of the Home Care Teams