In Africa, there has been a gradual shift from hospital-based care of people living with HIV/AIDS to home-based care. People living with HIV/AIDS often constitute a large proportion, if not majority of people seeking medical treatment at hospitals. Many hospitals do not have adequate resources to care for HIV patients. In response, hospitals and departments of health have implemented policies to promote home-based care of patients. However, in South Africa, the effectiveness of home-based care programmes is questionable, in the light of the research findings on which this Brief is based.