 | Health impact of water, sanitation and hygiene services in relation to home-based care for people living with HIV and AIDS in the Limpopo Province, South Africa |
| Expanded Title: | A substantial burden of the care of people with HIV and AIDS has been placed on the elderly, school-going children, family members, friends and different care organisations within the community. Among many governments and communities, home-based care is based on volunteers whom are unrecognised, under-valued and frequently unpaid. They are largely women and girls. Home-based care is seen as work that does not require remuneration and therefore it is not currently considered within the scope of policies and legislation. The aims off the WRC project was to investigate home-based care practices with regards to the experiences of carers and to perform a health risk assessment of the water used for domestic purposes in households caring for people living with HIV and AIDS. The investigation highlighted that the plight of home-based care that essentially comprises unpaid work. Community Health Workers were sometimes paid for their work but the Government chose to not make them employees of the state. Many carers provided their services for free. They were exposed to a series of health risks and similarly, to those people that suffered from HIV and AIDS, also experience stigmatization, isolation and poverty. The burden of home-based care has disproportionately become the responsibility of women. Elderly woman and young girls spend many of their personal and study hours looking after the sick. They worked many more hours than men. Home-based care often included physical and psychological stress. The lack of safe water in many areas of the country, the availability of water and the quantity of water have been highlighted as some of the most important aspects that prevent adequate home-based care. The lack of these services adversely impacts on both the sick and the carers. |
| Date Published: | 01/03/2012 |
| Document Type: | Research Report |
| Document Subjects: | Drinking water - Water supply, Sanitation - Hygiene |
| Document Keywords: | Health |
| Document Format: | Report |
| Document File Type: | pdf |
| Research Report Type: | Standard |
| WRC Report No: | 1738/1/11 |
| ISBN No: | 978-1-4312-0230-0 |
| Authors: | Potgieter N; du Preez M |
| Project No: | K5/1738 |
| Originator: | WRC |
| Document Size: | 1 962 KB |
| Attachments: | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY for 1738.pdf
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