Africa: Older AIDS Caregivers Face Stigma

Older people who care for their HIV-infected adult children or orphaned grandchildren also face the harsh realities of stigma attached to the disease, according to a World Health Organization study released last week. The "Impact of AIDS on Older People in Africa," based on a case study done in Zimbabwe, noted that older people are largely left on their own in providing care and support for their terminally ill adult children and, following their deaths, the orphans.

The study was conducted in 2001 in six of Zimbabwe's 10 provinces. It used a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods to interview 685 older people -- 40 percent from urban and 60 percent from rural households -- all of them providing HIV/AIDS-related care. Two-thirds of these caregivers were women.

The report found that older people face:

• loss of economic support through loss of remittances from their sick/dead adult relatives;
• lack of access to basic needs such as food, clothing and medical care;
• limited access to care services due to transportation difficulties and high cost of services;
• financial hardships leading to inability to pay for medical or school fees;
• stigma and negative attitudes of health workers towards older persons, as well as towards people living with HIV/AIDS; and
• physical and emotional stress resulting from increasing levels of violence and abuse -- often as a result of accusations of witchcraft.

The study identified older people as a vulnerable group as a result of a lifetime of hardship, malnutrition, and poverty. Because of their age, they were at high risk of suffering from chronic diseases. "The AIDS pandemic is now posing an additional burden on them, further increasing their vulnerability. Thus, their health is seriously compromised," the report said. The study recommended that older people's caretaker role be recognized and supported and stresses that unless these care providers are in good health, they cannot continue providing care.

Back to other CDC news for December 19, 2002

Previous Updates