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2.1 Introduction
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter reviews literature on home-based care beginning by giving the prevalence rates
and the impact of HIV/AIDS, the role and benefits of home-based care in dealing with the
pandemic. The role of volunteer caregivers and how they practice infection control is
discussed. Next, literature is reviewed on material resources that volunteer caregivers use for
practicing infection control, the challenges that they are confronted with and what motivates
them to continue to volunteer despite being confronted with challenges in HBC.
2.2 HIV/AIDS Prevalence
There is evidence of a worldwide increase in the HIV epidemic from 8 million in 1990 to
33.3 million at the end of 2009. Approximately 2.6 million were infected with new infections
and 1.8 million AIDS related deaths were recorded in the year 1999 alone (UNAIDS, 2010).
In total, approximately 30 million AIDS related deaths have been recorded since the
beginning of the epidemic (UNAIDS, 2010). However, there has been a steady reduction in
the number of new infections and AIDS related deaths that are recorded annually preceding
the increase in number of people on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Although, 10% of the
world population reside in sub-Saharan Africa, this area has the most HIV/AIDS infection
numbers. For example, 68% (22.5 million) of people infected with the disease on the globe
live in this region and an estimated 1.3 million deaths are AIDS related. In sub-Saharan
Africa, Southern Africa is the most severely affected region as one in every five people
between the ages of 15-49 years are living with the HIV virus in three of the countries in this
region (UNAIDS, 2010).
For example in Botswana, 24.8% adults were living with HIV at the end of 2009 (Fidzani &
Attah, 1996). South Africa’s AIDS epidemic remains the largest in the world with an
estimated 5.6 million number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the year 2009 (UNAIDS
2010). The total number of persons living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa increased from an
estimated 4.10 million in 2001 to 5.24 million by 2010. A study conducted in South Africa
on HIV infection in pregnant women, shows that an estimated 29.4% of pregnant women
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