The aim of this study was to investigate met and unmet palliative care needs for people living with HIV/AIDS in selected areas in Rwanda. The achieve this aim, the study, firstly, identified the palliative care needs of people living with HIV/AIDS, secondly, it identified the health care services available to meet these needs, and thirdly, it determined the extent to which palliative care needs were met.

The aim of this study was to investigate met and unmet palliative care needs for people living with HIV/AIDS in selected areas in Rwanda. The achieve this aim, the study, firstly, identified the palliative care needs of people living with HIV/AIDS, secondly, it identified the health care services available to meet these needs, and thirdly, it determined the extent to which palliative care needs were met.

Thesis (MTech (Nursing))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009. / By the end of 2007 an estimated 22 million people in sub-Saharan Africa were living with HIV/AIDS. Of these, 1.8 million (33%) were children under the age of 15 years. The epidemic has left 11.6 million children orphaned by AIDS. Zimbabwe has an estimated population of 12 million people; its HIV infection rate amongst all adults was estimated at 33.7% in 2002, decreased to 15.1% in 2007: most likely due to extensive prevention campaigns that were held by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, in partnership with other stakeholders. Despite the decrease in infection rate, 1.3 million people live with the HIV/AIDS and 140 000 have died. United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and World Health Organisation (WHO) (2008) reported that of the 1.3 million people 120 000 were children and 1 million children had been orphaned due to AIDS in Zimbabwe. Only 3% of children living with HIV/AIDS were on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) due to lack of antiretroviral (ARV) paediatric formulations drugs. The purpose of the study is to determine what palliative care services are available for children diagnosed with AIDS in Harare, Zimbabwe and whether the services provided meet the palliative care needs of the children. The aims of the study are to: describe the palliative care services offered by the public health sector to children diagnosed with AIDS; describe the extent of palliative care services offered by NGOs sector to children diagnosed with AIDS; describe what children diagnosed with AIDS perceive as their care needs; and to compare the needs of the children with the services provided.

South African palliative care volunteer caregivers play a crucial role in caring for people living with HIV and Aids, but frequently do not receive the support and respect that they deserve. The current study explored the psychosocial challenges and coping mechanisms of palliative care volunteer caregivers for people living with HIV and Aids. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with 24 participants who also filled in questionnaires. The aim was to explore their experiences, their challenges, and coping mechanisms. Although these volunteer caregivers shared many positive experiences, they also faced multiple challenges in the workplace, their personal lives, financial challenges as well as psychological and emotional ones. Despite these challenges, the caregivers showed only moderate levels of stress on the stress scale. Recommendations for overcoming these challenges were provided to caregivers, organisations and the Department of Health / Psychology / M. Sc. (Psychology)

South African palliative care volunteer caregivers play a crucial role in caring for people living with HIV and Aids, but frequently do not receive the support and respect that they deserve. The current study explored the psychosocial challenges and coping mechanisms of palliative care volunteer caregivers for people living with HIV and Aids. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with 24 participants who also filled in questionnaires. The aim was to explore their experiences, their challenges, and coping mechanisms. Although these volunteer caregivers shared many positive experiences, they also faced multiple challenges in the workplace, their personal lives, financial challenges as well as psychological and emotional ones. Despite these challenges, the caregivers showed only moderate levels of stress on the stress scale. Recommendations for overcoming these challenges were provided to caregivers, organisations and the Department of Health / Psychology / M. Sc. (Psychology)