The overlooked key in the fight against HIV/AIDS
Research recently completed has said that to adequately treat HIV/AIDS people need proper nourishment. To Dr. Paul Farmer, this work is similar to that of someone jumping out of a plane to test if you really need a parachute: of course you do and these people need food.
"Food has been forgotten in the treatment of HIV," said Farmer, a doctor and professor at Harvard Medical School. Farmer has spent years of his life working in Africa and Haiti treating diseases.
Without food people will not adhere to their daily regiment of ARTs he said.
Farmer's NGO, Partners in Health, works closely with the World Food Programme in many aspects of treatment.
The world food Programme recently released a study looking at the costs of feeding those who need it. They broke it up into several study groups including Orphans and at Risk Children; People with HIV and their families among others.
According to the calculations it would cost 66 cents a day in food for someone who is on ART as well as a package for their family.
They found that all the nutrient requirements of these populations would cost $1.1 billion, until 2008. The number sounds big but in context it makes up a mere 2 per cent of what UNAIDS says will be required to start curbing the prevalence of HIV.
A perfect example of how effective the ART can be in combination with nutrition one only has to look at Joseph Jeune, he was on his death bed - then 6 months later he was on his feet and ready to go back to work.
He spoke about the need for food in Haiti, Dr. Farmer translated on his behalf, "The three biggest problems that we are facing in Haiti right now is HIV, TB and malnutrition."
Special Envoy Stephen Lewis finds it incomprehensible that people are not getting their basic food needs met. He said he beliefs the money should be made available and people need to keep pushing their governments.
He suggested that people should approach PEPFAR, the American HIV management plan, and say, "Why don't you shovel some of your abstinence money into food?"
Farmer said he was shocked when the UN made the statement that people's food preferences were not being met.
"It's not about food preferences," he said, "we are talking about not having any food whatsoever."
Both hope governments will step up and provide funding.
"I would say we need to give people food everyday," said Farmer he paused before adding, "I know that's radical."
Maybe he isn't as positive about seeing the goverment cough up that money.
If it will save lives then I also hope the government will step forward - but I don't hold out much hope. For more information about the World Food Programme, you can see their webpage here: http://www.wfp.org/english/
"Food has been forgotten in the treatment of HIV," said Farmer, a doctor and professor at Harvard Medical School. Farmer has spent years of his life working in Africa and Haiti treating diseases.
Without food people will not adhere to their daily regiment of ARTs he said.
Farmer's NGO, Partners in Health, works closely with the World Food Programme in many aspects of treatment.
The world food Programme recently released a study looking at the costs of feeding those who need it. They broke it up into several study groups including Orphans and at Risk Children; People with HIV and their families among others.
According to the calculations it would cost 66 cents a day in food for someone who is on ART as well as a package for their family.
They found that all the nutrient requirements of these populations would cost $1.1 billion, until 2008. The number sounds big but in context it makes up a mere 2 per cent of what UNAIDS says will be required to start curbing the prevalence of HIV.
A perfect example of how effective the ART can be in combination with nutrition one only has to look at Joseph Jeune, he was on his death bed - then 6 months later he was on his feet and ready to go back to work.
He spoke about the need for food in Haiti, Dr. Farmer translated on his behalf, "The three biggest problems that we are facing in Haiti right now is HIV, TB and malnutrition."
Special Envoy Stephen Lewis finds it incomprehensible that people are not getting their basic food needs met. He said he beliefs the money should be made available and people need to keep pushing their governments.
He suggested that people should approach PEPFAR, the American HIV management plan, and say, "Why don't you shovel some of your abstinence money into food?"
Farmer said he was shocked when the UN made the statement that people's food preferences were not being met.
"It's not about food preferences," he said, "we are talking about not having any food whatsoever."
Both hope governments will step up and provide funding.
"I would say we need to give people food everyday," said Farmer he paused before adding, "I know that's radical."
Maybe he isn't as positive about seeing the goverment cough up that money.
If it will save lives then I also hope the government will step forward - but I don't hold out much hope. For more information about the World Food Programme, you can see their webpage here: http://www.wfp.org/english/
posted by Angela at 6:23 PM
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