Mitigating the plight of HIV-infected and -affected nurses in Zambia

This article responds to the challenge to nurses to ensue and write about successful HIV-related research projects. The article describes the highly valuable 'Caring for the Caregivers' project in Zambia, highlighting the development of the project, valuable lessons learnt and further developments. The article serves as a valuable guideline for nurses and health professionals from other disciplines in developing similar projects.

In a sub-Saharan country hard hit by HIV/AIDS, nurses and midwives desperately need support. The Zambian Nurses' Association and the Norwegian Nurses' Organisation partnered to mitigate the plight of infected and affected nurses in Zambia in a sustainable manner.

This article highlights the successes of this partnership, as well as valuable lessons learnt. It reflects on a needs assessment survey carried out to identify the needs of nurses in caring for AIDS patients, and describes the ensuing recommendations and implementation of the 'Caring for the Caregivers' project, focusing on training, local support groups and monitoring. Further developments are mentioned briefly and the relevance of such a partnership and ensuing project for the discipline of nursing is also commented on.