Water and Sanitation Assessment of Home-Based Care Clients in Zambia

Summary:
In Zambia, HIV/AIDS is still approached primarily as a health issue, and therefore, interventions focus mainly on prevention and treatment. The provision of affordable, accessible and reliable public services is essential in supporting health maintenance and reducing stress for people infected and affected with HIV/AIDS. Reliable delivery of good-quality water and sound basic sanitation are critical in reducing exposure to pathogens to which HIV-positive people are particularly vulnerable. Where water services are inadequate or inaccessible, time and monetary costs of access to good quality water in sufficient quantities are high, particularly for HIV-infected people and their caregivers. An assessment was commissioned by the WHO with the goal of producing evidence-based guidance on water and sanitation needs in home-based care strategies, particularly in resource-poor situations and to develop practical and strategic recommendations to be made at the programme and policy levels, while identifying the most critical measures to be taken by the health sector and the water and sanitation sector to provide short- and medium-term solutions in the area of water, sanitation and hygiene support to home-based care.