HIV

Community home-based care

The International Federation's most significant comparative advantage is its global network of volunteers who work to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found. The 2001 declaration of the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV underscored the importance of a holistic global response against HIV including strengthening and expanding community based home care.

In Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies volunteers are mobilised to train and support family and community members to care for people living with HIV.

The characteristics of a community home-based programme are:

• The programme contributes to ongoing care for people living with HIV and chronically ill people based on traditional family and community support systems.
• It identifies orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV.
• It contributes to reducing stigma and discrimination in the home and the community.
• It facilitates access to range of support including social, medical, psychological, spiritual and emotional support.
• It offers opportunities for prevention education.
• It reduces inappropriate use of health system resources.

Publications

• HIV prevention treatment, care and support training modules, World Health Organization, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Southern Africa HIV and AIDS Information Dissemination Service, 2004
• Orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS - Principles and operational guidelines for programming, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2002
• Community home-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2005