A Health Program Proposal for Orphans and Vulnerable Children at AIM Care Points in Swaziland Open Access

Crosby III, Claud (2015)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/vd66w0602?locale=en
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Abstract

At the turn of the 21st century the Kingdom of Swaziland experienced a tremendous loss of life due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic ravaging sub-Saharan Africa. With thousands of adult lives lost, Swaziland faced a new crisis of more than 120,000 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). Adventures in Missions (AIM) responded to this crisis in 2004 by collaborating with a Swazi pastor to establish neighborhood care points east of Manzini in central Swaziland. More than a decade later AIM manages 33 care points, serving more than 6,000 OVC. However, there is no formal health program for OVC at those care points; thus, AIM requested a health program proposal that would extend health care to the OVC they serve. The purpose of this Special Studies Project is to develop a culturally appropriate health program proposal that draws on the expertise of other organizations currently providing OVC health services in Swaziland. Interviews with AIM staff in Swaziland were used to guide the research phase of this proposal by identifying the most relevant organizations in Swaziland to be assessed. The competitive analysis of these exemplary organizations, an analysis of AIM's organizational capacity, and research on the national referral system informed the development of the health program. The proposed program capitalizes on existing strengths among AIM staff and identified staffing and resource gaps to be filled in order to implement a successful health program. The goal of the program proposal is to develop a cost-effective and culturally appropriate program that integrates well with the objectives of the national health system. Key research findings include the need to identify and train community health workers for each care point, develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan, and develop a referral system that tracks patients and ensures the completion of treatment. The proposal includes plans for onsite acute care and preventative treatment, as well as an explicit plan for referrals. The proposal is divided into three progressive phases of implementation, and it provides AIM with a framework for implementing a system of health for the 6,000 OVC under their care.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Rationale

1.2 Problem

1.3 Purpose

1.4 Aims

1.5 Significance

Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Swaziland

2.3 National Programs of the Ministry of Health

2.4 Orphans and Vulnerable Children

2.5 National Plans of Action for Children and OVC

2.6 International Guidelines for OVC Health

2.7 OVC Care Models and Best Practices

2.8 Community Health Workers

2.9 Conclusion

Chapter 3: Methods

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Staff Interview Methods

3.3 Comparable Organization Analyses Methods

3.4 Assessment of Available Health Services

3.5 AIM Organizational Capacity Assessment Methods

3.6 Program Recommendation Development

Chapter 4: Organizational Assessment

4.1 Overview

4.2 History of AIM Swaziland

4.3 Current Organizational Structure and Personnel

4.4 Sources of Funding

4.5 Strategic Partners

4.6 Organizational Profile Key Findings

Chapter 5: Program Model Analysis

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Organizations Addressing OVC Health in Swaziland

5.3 Comparison of OVC Health Care Models

5.4 Conclusion

Chapter 6: Recommended Program Plan

6.1 Program Executive Summary

6.2 Staff

6.3 Training

6.4 Activities on Site

6.5 Referrals

6.6 Strategic Partners

6.7 Monitoring and Evaluation

6.8 Health Records

6.9 Timeline

6.10 Budget

6.11 Assumptions and Limitations

Chapter 7: Discussion and Conclusion

7.1 Demand for an OVC Health Program

7.2 Implementation

7.3 Program Progression and Inputs

7.4 Closing Considerations

Appendices

Works Cited

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