Learning Objective #1: Acquire improve knowledge and skills in Community Care of PERSONS LIVING WITH HIV AIDS by 10%

Learning Objective #2: Understand the need for community involvement and participation in community care for people living with HIV AIDS AND orphans by 10%

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The motivation to participate in HIV AIDS Community Care was after training by FACT in Zimbabwe. There l encountered the devastation HIV AIDS was causing humans. Zimbabwe had a prevalence of 30% in 2002. Ghana needed a drastic approach towards HIV prevention to avert the effect on humans. Ghana needed people like me. On my return, I took a bold decision, resigned from PPAG, registered an NGO (LRF) and continued with HIV AIDS COMMUNITY CARE. PROBLEM STATEMENT The number of PLWHA in Ghana has risen steadily since the epidemic in the mid 1980’s.By 1994,an estimated 118,000 Ghanaians were living with HIV and the number tripled to more than about 404,000 in 2004.All regions in Ghana are affected by HIV/AIDS and stigma and discrimination. HIV positive should be killed, quarantined, abandoned and even HIV positive committed suicide To avert this dire situation, community care is crucial to meet the physical, emotional; socio- economic and spiritual needs thus improve the quality of life of PLWHA. Community care offers a quantum of care that includes community mobilization to identify preventive health, community education, basic nursing care in homes, psycho social counselling, spiritual and nutritional support to PLWHA and families. It Creates HIV AIDS awareness, self-help and helps counteract myths and misconceptions thus reduce stigma and discrimination. RESULTS • Initiated 20 community care services • Trained 31 volunteer caregivers • 208 PLWHA and 267 OVC registered • PLWHA/OVC receives psychosocial counselling, nutritional, treatment support • Formed community stakeholders comprising community leaders, • 46 AIDS patients nursed at home. • Association of PLWHA organized. • 16 PLWHA using ARV. • CONCLUSION Community care offers the only feasible option for majority of patients at most stages of the diseases not just the dying stage. Community care boost efforts to prevent