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practices and it was responsible for providing HBC kits to assist in the effective infection
control practices. These findings are consistent with that of a study that was performed in six
countries Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria and Cameroon. The study was on
the significance of care giving work by the volunteer caregivers for PLWHA. Its results
revealed that HBC carers obtained training from either organizations or from the
governments (Budlender, 2009). These findings imply that there could be adherence to
infection control measures by the volunteer caregivers and this could also reduce the risk of
opportunistic infection by the patients.
Exo level
The HBCOs operate at this level. Results of this study show that home-based care
coordinators/project managers viewed infection control practices as important measures that
protected volunteer caregivers from infections. They ensured that all volunteer caregivers got
trained when they were enrolled into HBC programs. HBCCs explained the importance of
following infection control practice guidelines to volunteer caregivers. For example, as part
of a guideline that was provided by the health professional council of South Africa [HPCSA]
(2008), HBCCs encouraged volunteer caregivers to wear plastics on their hands in cases
when they did not have gloves when handling patients with HIV/AIDS. This implies that the
transmission of infections could be reduced between the patient and the volunteer caregivers
in HBCOs.
Micro level
Volunteer caregivers are part of the community who are employed to work in AIDS care
organisations as volunteers (Akintola, 2006; Akintola 2008). This study gives new insight
that infection control practices were seen to be important by volunteer caregivers for
prevention of patient-to-caregiver infection; caregiver-to-patient infection and because of the
need for proper hygiene in the communities. Such views suggest that infection control
practices could have a positive impact in that volunteer caregivers could adhere to infection
control protocols due to fear of being infected by the HIV virus and thus their health and
those of the patients could be improved.
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