Men and Home Based Care

The increase of number of people with AIDS in Kenya has resulted into overstretching of available resources in the health facilities. Home Based Care (HBC has been implemented as an intervention to relieve the health system. HBC has emerged as an effective method of providing cost-effective, compassionate care to those infected by HIV/AIDS. Care for the sick in the African setting has always been seen as a job for the women and girls hence the burden of care, we are left to wonder what the men are able to do for the sick at home? Therefore, this research was carried out to determine the role and level of male involvement in HBC for persons infected with HIV and AIDS especially the Household heads. The results of the study revealed that men do provide the care but are not the main caregivers and that the gender of the sick person influenced the type of care provided. This proves that encouraging the men to be more involved in care giving for the increasing number of sick in the community would be a crucial response in alleviating the burden of care on women and girls. The increased involvement of men will mean 'more hands to do the work'.