An assessment of quality assurance in HIV and AIDS-related services in Chivuna rural health facility of southern Zambia.

Abstract

With many countries experiencing high prevalence rates of HIV scaling up ART, it is vital to assess quality assurance in health facilities accredited to pro- vide these HIV and AIDS-related services. Reviewed literature indicates that there are limited studies in Zambia on the capacity of accredited health care facilities to provide effective HIV/AIDS related services. Using data from a large ethnographic qualitative study in a resource poor rural setting in Zam- bia, this paper assesses quality assurance in health facilities to providing HIV/AIDS services in a remote rural setting. Findings show that although HIV and AIDS related services were available at the remote rural health facil- ity of Chivuna, the services provided did not meet the WHO minimum guide- lines/standards on the provision of such services. Therefore, there is need for such facilities to be adequately equipped in all the departments of ART deli- very so as to ensure effective delivery of these services and universal access. Keywords Zambia, HIV and AIDS, WHO Guidelines, Capacity of Health Facilities