Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Family support for AIDS patients in a rural population in south west Uganda: how much a myth?
Int Conf AIDS. 1992 Jul 19-24;8(1):Mo19 (abstract no. MoD 0071). Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA8/92400024 Seeley J; Kajura E; Okongo M; Wagner HU; Mulder DW; MRC(UK) Research Programme on AIDS, Entebbe, Uganda.
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: It is commonly assumed that the extended family in Africa provides a safety net for individuals in times of need. The aim of this study is to assess family response to coping with the care of AIDS patients in a rural population in South West Uganda. METHOD: Over a six month period 30 (17 women, 13 men) AIDS patients in a rural sub-county in SW Uganda were visited and assisted on a regular basis in their homes by a counsellor and/or a medical doctor. Seventeen (12 women, 5 men) died within that period. Data on the care received were gathered from counsellor reports of all visits and, where appropriate, from interviews with carers after patient's death. RESULTS: For the 17 women, the mother was sole career in 8 cases and the daughter in 2, in 6 cases siblings and parents shared care. In 1 case the woman died unattended while the caregiver, the husband, was in hospital. Of the 13 men, 3 were cared for by mother or sister, 4 by wives and 6 by other relatives. Of those who died, records of 7 cases (6 women, 1 man) show that other relatives were asked to help with care but refused on the grounds of poverty or other family responsibilities. However, in all but one of these cases extended families did provide assistance for the funeral. The medical reports on 3 patients' deaths (2 women, 1 man) gave neglect, in 1 case because of poverty, as contributing to the death. CONCLUSION: The care of AIDS patients falls on the shoulders of individuals with limited assistance from extended kin. In some cases inadequate care may have contributed to the rapid demise of the patient. Our findings call into question the assumption that the extended family, in the culture under study, provides adequate support for AIDS patients.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*PSYCHOLOGY Adaptation, Psychological *Caregivers Child Cultural Characteristics *Family Health Female Human Male Marriage Nuclear Family Parents Poverty Rural Population *Social Support Uganda ABSTRACT 921230
M92C5323
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Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
