Food key in HIV fight, says TASO

Ms Pauline Nabukwasi, 37, has been HIV positive since 2006. Although she was strong between 2007 and 2009 and would look for food and money to fend for herself and children, now she can not manage. She has weakened to the extent that she does not have the energy to work for any money let alone look after her family.

The rather frail and hungry looking Nabukwasi, who occasionally visits The Aids Support Organisation [TASO] for treatment, is on ARVs but can’t afford nutritious food to strengthen her body in order to fight the disease.

Nabukwasi is not alone, there are many HIV-positive patients in rural areas who are on ARVs but can’t afford the nutritious food that is required to keep the body strong before taking the medicine.

“As TASO, we can’t afford feeding all patients and let alone giving them ARVs. We are worried that many of the HIV positive patients are likely to die just because they can’t afford the nutritious food which the body requires to boost immunity to fight the disease,” said Dr Jonathan Wangisi, a project director for operational research at Taso Eastern region.” He says government should find a way to put in place a more sustainable plan to ensure food availability for people living with HIV/Aids in hunger-stricken and drought-prone parts of the country.

Call to the ‘rich’
While speaking to Sunday Monitor, Dr Wangisi said foreign donors that are helping will one time stop and as such, the country must look for means to fight the disease. “Uganda has many rich people and most of these want to live individually without supporting their country. We must stop this and begin giving assistance to our own sick people, we must start money pools to help in fighting the HIV/Aids,” said Dr Wangisi.

Dr Alex Ario, the national Aids control programme manager at the Ministry of Health, says there is evidence that nutritious food helps in boosting the immune system of the people living with HIV/ Aids. He said food, especially with well-balanced diet helps the body to build up cells because HIV/Aids destroys the cells in the body so once eaten on top of treatment, food boosts immunity and helps fight infections thus keeping one more healthy.

According to new guidelines from WHO, all adults living with HIV at 500 CD4 count should start anti-retroviral treatment,” said Dr Ario.