Health
- ASAP supports government and non-government efforts to make free healthcare available to all orphans and vulnerable children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and their caregivers.
- ASAP facilitates access to government healthcare, clinics and hospitals and supports Home-Based care to relieve the burden of patient care on orphans and vulnerable children in the home.
- By training up child care workers, ASAP is building capacity for community child care as well as laying the groundwork for the anticipated roll-out of government healthcare initiatives utilizing the Home-Based Care method for monitoring anti-retroviral (ARVs) and TB treatment.
Challenges
- South Africa has the largest number of HIV-positive people in the world, with about 900 people dying every day from an AIDS related illness.
- In a recent survey conducted by ASAP field officers in the communities where we operate, 20% of all orphan and vulnerable child guardians reported that the children in their care were suffering from medical problems.
- These areas of the country are entering the sad ‘death-phase’ where mortality exceeds new infections. The rising mortality rate has serious consequences for the children, and is evident in the ongoing increases in child-headed families.
- The Department of Health has broadened government support to regional clinics and hospitals, yet these facilities are still far out of reach for most people living in rural areas. People living with AIDS often do not have the money to travel long distances to access services available at few hospitals and clinics.
Services Provided
Home-Based Care:
In the rural areas where money is scarce, resources are few and HIV/AIDS is at epidemic levels, a most cost-effective supplementary healthcare system is to train women to provide palliative care for terminally ill clients. Home-Based Carers function as visiting nurses, dressing wounds, overseeing medication, cleaning and maintaining the home and bringing food.
Nurses:
Where our partner community-based organisations have infrastructures to support it, ASAP provides funding for qualified nurses to manage outreach teams, pharmacy supplies, the Home-Based Care networks and healthcare for orphans and vulnerable children.
First-Aid Supplies:
ASAP provides first-aid supplies to all Drop-in and Daycare Centers, as well as to outreach teams of Home-Based Carers and Early Childhood Development centres.
Transportation:
ASAP provides transportation for orphans and vulnerable children and their guardians to and from hospitals and clinics to access anti-retroviral drugs and training as well as necessary healthcare services.
Advocacy:
ASAP continues to advocate for improved healthcare and social services in rural areas, as well as providing ARV treatment literacy to rural areas.
