Title:
Critically analysis of the Zambia’s strategy of shifting of HIV care from nurses to community health workers
Authors:
Lupili, Hellen
Year:
2016
PAGE:
45
Language:
En
Subject:
Governance & HIV and AIDS
Keywords:
Task shifting, community health worker, HIV care services
Abstract:
Background Zambia is one of the 30 countries accounting for 89% of the HIV infection and 57 countries with a critical health staff shortage in the world. In response to these challenges Zambia has opted to implement a task shifting strategy of shifting task from nurses to CHW as a way of expanding the pool of staff to provide HIV services. Objective To critically analyze the Zambian strategy of shifting of HIV care tasks from nurses to community health workers, and to learn from other parts of the world using the WHO recommendations and guidelines as standard to identify the gaps. Methodology The methodology for this study is literature review. Published and unpublished literature will be reviewed to retrieve relevant information for this study.Findings Gaps identified in the Zambian strategy of shifting HIV care tasks from nurses to CHW includes not formally adopting task shifting as a public health initiative, having a specific task shifting policy and the country’s inability to sustain the provision of essential health services by not adequately planning and costing for the implementation of the strategy. Conclusion Zambia like other low income countries has recognized the value of task shifting and is implementing this strategy without fully considering the WHO recommendation and guidelines. Zambia can learn from evidence from countries such as South Africa and Botswana who have developed comprehensive CHW management policy and sustained the management of lay counsellors within the government health system respectively. Recommendations Zambia to develop a task shifting policy with legal provision to protect the cadre to whom tasks have been shifted to and the patients, recognize and set a remuneration structure for all charged with extra tasks in order to retain the cadres introduced to provide HIV services.
Organization:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute
,
VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Institute:
KIT (Royal Tropical Institue)
Department:
Health
Country:
Zambia, Republic of
Region:
Southern Africa
Training:
Master of Public Health/International Course in Health Development (MPH/ICHD)
Category:
Research
Right:
© 2016 Lupili
Document type:
Thesis/dissertation
File:
dz686LgURf_20170503162545702.pdf