Costs and Perceived Quality of Care for People Living with HIV/AIDS in the Western Cape Province in South Africa. Small Applied Research No. 14

摘要

A report by the United National Development Programme (1998) indicates that South Africa is currently experiencing one of the most rapidly progressing HIV epidemics in the world. The majority of South Africans are dependent on the public health system, which is straining under the impact of the epidemic. The aim of this study is to evaluate the costs of care for people with HIV/AIDS at the different levels of care in the Western Cape metropolitan area and the patients perception of care. A total of 350 HIV/AIDS patients were interviewed: 64 percent were women; approximately 25 percent of these women were between the ages of 16 and 26; 42 percent lived in an informal dwelling; 30 percent had only a primary level education; almost half of them were unemployed; and the majority reported a monthly income of less than R1000.