World Food Programme
Original Article: bit.ly/1uz1DBQ
At the dawn of the post-2015 development agenda, the global health community is rallying around the “ending of AIDS by 2030”, a goal that now appears within reach. With the power of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to both extend the lives of people living with HIV and prevent new infections, treatment has rightly been placed at the core of the strategy for moving forward.
But, with just 38 percent of adults in need of treatment actually on treatment, and increasing recognition of the difficulty in keeping people on treatment long-term, it is clear that critical barriers remain.
Simelane Sabelo (not his real name) tells the story of how WFP links with the national ART programme to deliver food to patients (also known as ‘Food by Prescription’), along with nutrition assessment, counseling and other support.
Every month, the Swaziland farmer takes home a bag of nutrient fortified corn soya blend which helps keep him healthy and acts as an incentive to stick to his treatment. The nutrition counseling Simelane received while in the programme opened his eyes to a new way of eating. “Before, I just ate. I didn’t care what it was,” he says.
Full text of article available at link below: bit.ly/1uz1DBQ
