Gate - the The development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC)

Home-Based Care (HBC)
Our data suggest that the faith-based organizations are particularly concerned to assist, where they
can, with home-based care, although of course it is the families of afflicted individuals who bear the
brunt of HBC obligations. Care is often directed to practical matters of food, and immediate basic
necessities, and several organizations mentioned gifts of rice and other foods, often from the
religious organizations. Support groups of PLWHA, whether attached to FBOs or not, are another
main source of HBC for individuals and families.
As one example of various sources of care and support for PLWHA, the informants at the Defense
Health Club (their local AIDS organization) in the Mogadishu Barracks, reported that:
The DHC also raises funds from churches that donate money, food and gifts for PLWHA in the
hospital. The informant serves as the contact person. Redeemed Christian Church of God recently
donated a bag of rice, and House of the Rock, a Pentecostal Church in Abuja, gave 50,000 naira.
He also mentioned that the Center for Rights to Health provides family support in the
form of home based care, and Pathfinders gave 200 HIV testing kits for pregnancy [PMTCT] and
HIV. (Excerpt from interview notes).
The informant at NEPWHAN told our interviewers that "Most support groups have home based
care services, some are formal while others are informal. CACA provides HBC in collaboration
with the Catholic Relief Services.(CRS)."
Although there appear to be a large number of PLWHA groups and FBOs and others who provide
some home-based care, it appears that there are many individuals and families who are not reached
by such services. In the first place there are many HIV+ persons who do not wish to join the
support groups. Also, the HBC services appear to be sporadic, and often lacking in sufficient
funding to maintain adequate levels of care. Training for HBC is often lacking among the small
local groups.
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