Food for People Living With AIDS on ART

Since AIDS renders people too weak to do cultivate their own food, and children are often too young to do meaningful farming, People living with HIV (PLHIV) find themselves placed between a rock and a hard place. The majority of them cannot grow food because they lack energy to dig due to AIDS yet they have to take the drugs (ARVs)  to live longer. ARVs require PLHIV have food to eat before taking it due to the strong medication and its effects.

RACOBAO has developed a project aimed at providing nutritious maize and soya flour to people with AIDS (PWAs on ART and are bedridden until they regain strength to grow own food. This is estimated to be between six to twelve months and the PWA has regained strength and can grow own food.

Twenty five kilos of nutritious maize and soya flour, plus 3 liters of fortified cooking oil are given out to only 60 PLHIV every month for a period of 6-12 months. After this period, another group is expected to be brought on board. However there are some PWAs who take longer than 12months to regain strength and energy; those one could be taken on until they regain energy and strength.

The 60 eligible PWAs are referred to RACOBAO by Lyantonde Hospital Administration. The number of PWAs in who are eligible to get food far exceeds the number received this year, but because of financial constraints only 60 are getting the nutritional package. The cost of 25kg of nutritious maize and soya flour is Ugshs 70,000 (USD $31.00) and 3liters of fortified cooking oil is Ugshs 15,000 (USD $7.00)

More to this, PWAs are encouraged to establish kitchen gardens where they can get vegetables which are essential for healthy living. Seeds and knowledge on needed to establish these gardens are given by RACOBAO.

Objectives

·         To promote adherence to ART through provision of food to PLHIV

·         To improve nutrition among PLHIV

 Achievements

·         60 PLHIV are expected to receive nutritious food throughout 2010