Formal and Informal Care and Support for People Living with HIV/AIDS in Two Sites in Botswana

The increasing availability of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) allows for the possibility of extended lives for the 36.8 million people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) across the world. Yet the drugs alone do not tackle the psychological and social problems of HIV, needs which are met by large networks of support, which including family, friends, NGOs support groups and government services. This research investigates these networks of social support for PLWHA using qualitative participatory research methods in Botswana, where many structures exist to provide help for PLWHA in a context where ARVs are freely available. Focus groups, participant diaries and interviews with service providers detail a complex landscape of care, which PLWHA utilise to get the help and assistance they need. A special emphasis is placed on the complex role of support groups, shown as a critical source of support which are currently under-researched in the literature. The study also illustrates the problems in networking between a myriad of NGOs, CBOs and government service providers, demonstrating issues of communication, governance and power.