“Nathi Singabantu”: The Disabling Effects of HIV in the Era of ARV Treatment – A Pilot Study, 2010-2011
Overview:
This study investigates the experience of disability among People Living with HIV (PLHIV) who have been on ART for 6 months or longer. The study uses the ICF framework as a lens to understand the disability in the context of HIV in the southern African region. It includes two components, a) a systematic review and b) a qualitative enquiry with people who are on ART in a semi-urban setting in South Africa. The study is led by Dr Jill Hanass-Hancock in conjunction with the co-investigators, Dr Stephanie Nixon (ICDR, Canada) and Dr. Hellen Myezwa (WITS University, South Africa).
Objectives:
- To develop a synthesis of the evidence of HIV-related disability in PLHIV in the era of widely accessible ART in hyper-endemic countries
- To investigate the experience of disability among PLHIV on ART in a public health care setting in South Africa
- To investigate if this experience is shaped by contextual factors and gender.
Methodological Approach:
The scoping review uses systematic review techniques. Disability is defined using the ICF as a guiding framework. Literature is searched using disability (ICF domains) and HIV and their synonyms as a search string. The search is limited on hyper-endemic countries.
The qualitative enquiry includes in-depth interviews with 19 participants (9 men/10 women on ART) to explore if and how they experience disability. The in-depth interviews are guided by content analysis based on the ICF framework developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).