Is home-based care evolving, or diminishing? And is the W.H.O. concept of continuum of care as was set in the past still valid? Let us be advised by a recent statement by Dr Kennedy Manyonyi, deputy director of the APHIA Eastern program, ‘today home-based care is less and less about those who are bed-ridden, thanks to antiretrovirals’. People living with HIV/AIDS indeed still require continuity of care in order to maintain their quality of life. Increased access to antiretroviral therapy, albeit gradual, arising from the well known scale-up efforts of this decade, did translate in better prognosis – that is, less opportunistic infection. Against this backdrop, people living with HIV/AIDS are on their feet, up and about, doing the normal daily stuff. While home-based care’s component of nursing and clinical care is lessened, those of psychological and social support, including OVC care, persist. In Eastern province, APHIA Eastern delivers a comprehensive home care package made up of clinical and nursing care, nutrition, social and psychological care and prevention interventions to 7,855 persons, while supporting 31,545 OVC. This home-based care program is called community palliative care. Its size of OVC support is reflective of impact of HIV epidemic in parts of Eastern province – mitigation of impact of HIV epidemic on household and community is part of AIDS response. With its stronger social support including OVC care, and prevention and psychological support, also linkages to other health services like counseling and testing, TB treatment and family planning, the community palliative care program of APHIA Eastern exemplifies home-based care of today. |
APHIA II REGIONS 
