The Practice of HIV/AIDS Service Provisions at Worldwide Orphans Foundation in Yeka Sub City of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

The standard service delivery guidelines for HIV/AIDS comprehensive care and support programming in Ethiopia, contains seven core service areas which are considered significant for people living with HIV. The seven service areas include; care and shelter, economic strengthening, health care, legal and social protection, psychosocial support, food and nutrition and education. This paperexplores the practice of HIV/AIDS service provision at Worldwide Orphans Foundation in Yeka Subcity of Addis Ababa with the aim of assessing the comprehensive HIV/AIDS care and support services employed plusidentifying the major challenges faced and coping mechanisms employed by service providers. This study was undertaken by using non-experimental research design and descriptive sample survey methods by employing both quantitative and qualitative data gathering tools. Structured interview with the beneficairies of the organization, semi-structured interview with selected service providers and focus group discussion with the stakeholders are conducted. A total of 50 beneficiaries were randomly selected from WWO. The key findings of the study indicate that although there are some care and support services available at the organizaiton that meets the needs of the beneficiaries there are also umet needs of clietns which needs to be addressed. The health care service offersacomprehensive medical care for adult and pediatric patients. Other components of comperhensive care and supportactivities like psychosocial support and educational support are also available for the beneficiaries. But the organization has not identified the full packages of comperhensive care and support where the felt needs of the clients are not adressed.This indicated that some beneficiaries of the organization require additional support of shelter and care along with the existing services for a sustained and better outcome. The multifaceted challenges of children that are not addressed by WWO are affecting the result of the existing services offered. These missing services are also causing work related stress and challenges to the service providers.