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LAMVELASE (cont.)
CARE AND
SUPPORT
Home based care: The program trained community volunteers to take care of the
terminally ill patients in the different wards and peri-urban
areas. Currently, the program has 35 trained care givers
distributed in the various wards where mobilisation for
volunteers was possible and an average of 180 patients is
visited each month. The caregivers are provided monthly with
home based care supplies such as gloves, soap, disposable
diapers, jik etc. However, these supplies have been limited
to the ever increasing numbers of patients that need care in
the homes. Another main challenge for this service has been
the poverty situation in most homes especially in the peri-urban
areas where patients on medication including antiretroviral
therapy, default as a result of the lack of food.
Antiretroviral (ART) Clinic
The Lamvelase centre also provides
comprehensive quality and ART services for those that are
already living with HIV and AIDS. The clinic is operated in
partnership with AIDSHealth Foundation who has provided the
services of a full time medical director for the centre.
Clients are provided with pre-ART and ART services. The
clinic started operation in September 2007 and it has grown
with over 1000 patients enrolled and over 500 enrolled on
ART. This growth in numbers has posed challenges in terms of
space and human resources. There is an urgent need to
address these if the city has to meet the demands for the
services.
Services for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC):
Currently the program seeks to provide support to OVC aged 18
years and below, through the provision of psychosocial
services at Social Centres. The social centres are operated
with technical assistance from Manzini Youth Care and
Children’s Cup Swaziland. Services provided at the centre
include food, education, clothing, counselling, medical and
recreation. However, the services that children receive at
the social centres vary from one centre to the next
depending on support from partners and these are often
limited. An average of 250 children is catered for at
each centr
Positive Living:
This activity is provided by the Swaziland Aids Support
Organisation (SASO). SASO is responsible for promoting
positive living to those living with HIV and AIDS and their
relatives. The organisation promotes a healthy, balanced and
proper nutrition that shall help as a boost to the immunity
system through education and training of its members.
Another major component provided by this NGO is provision of
optimum counselling on issues related to HIV and AIDS. SASO
also advocates for the rights of people living with HIV &
AIDS.
COORDINATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE RESPONSE
HIV & AIDS activities in the city of
Manzini are therefore coordinated at the LaMvelase Help Centre
where the secretariat for the Municipal HIV Team (MHT) is
located. The MHT is technical advisory body for the
Municipal Council made up of local non-governmental
organisations actively involved in HIV & AIDS activities
within the city. At the ward level, Community AIDS Action
committees have been established for the coordination of HIV
& AIDS activities at the community level. Community
volunteers implement activities in the wards.
Besides the Manzini AMICAALL coordination
initiative, the centre operates like a wholesale of HIV/AIDS
information; Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT),
Antiretroviral therapy, positive living with HIV and AIDS
which is provided by Swaziland AIDS Support Organization (SASO).
All services carried out at the centre are free of charge.
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