Govt to Help 5,000 Aids Patients With Nutrition, Reveals Chituwo
Doreen Kambangaji, The Post. Lusaka, July 25, 2005
The government is to assist 5,000 people on anti-retroviral (ARVs) who cannot afford good nutrition, Minister of Health Dr Brian Chituwo has said.
Speaking on ZNBC's Radio Four's Telehelp 399 programme yesterday, Dr Chituwo said plans were underway with the Ministry of Community Development to assist people on ARVs with good nutrition.
"Part of the $65 million that was received from the World Food Programme will be used for this purpose and government has targeted 5,000 people who clearly cannot afford good nutrition," he said.
However, Chituwo said the provision of food to the affected people needed cooperation from all sectors of life if the programme was to be implemented successfully.
He said good nutrition played an important role before and during treatment.
"It is very evident that the progression of HIV to AIDS takes longer if there is good nutrition," he said.
He also said the ministry had engaged in running a programme with WFP who were currently providing high-energy proteins (HEPs) to TB patients.
And Chituwo said his government would not compromise the quality of treatment just to reach the target of putting 100,000 people on ARVs by the end of this year.
"Patients have to be carefully monitored once they commence treatment to avoid future problems such as resistance to the drug by the patient," he said.
He urged other members of the community to assist the medical personnel especially in the area of counselling as reaching the 100,000 target was not the domain of medical personnel only.
And commenting on the high cost of ARVs and other laboratory costs, Chituwo said government had now started providing free laboratory services and ARVs.
He said the programme was being supported by the Global Fund on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria but could not predict the sustainability of the programme.
"What we need is life-long support and we cannot always depend on donors. Zambians must contribute by creating harmony in the country so that the economic sector is more productive. This will enable government to cushion the provision if the donors decide to pull out," he said.
Chituwo said what was now remaining was for the health permanent secretary to implement the Cabinet decision by issuing circulars to all the hospitals and clinics.
"The medical personnel were saying that they could not start giving out free ARVs because they only heard about this in the media and had not received circulars. However, they must have received the circulars by now from the permanent secretary," said Chituwo.
Source: AllAfrica.com
The government is to assist 5,000 people on anti-retroviral (ARVs) who cannot afford good nutrition, Minister of Health Dr Brian Chituwo has said.
Speaking on ZNBC's Radio Four's Telehelp 399 programme yesterday, Dr Chituwo said plans were underway with the Ministry of Community Development to assist people on ARVs with good nutrition.
"Part of the $65 million that was received from the World Food Programme will be used for this purpose and government has targeted 5,000 people who clearly cannot afford good nutrition," he said.
However, Chituwo said the provision of food to the affected people needed cooperation from all sectors of life if the programme was to be implemented successfully.
He said good nutrition played an important role before and during treatment.
"It is very evident that the progression of HIV to AIDS takes longer if there is good nutrition," he said.
He also said the ministry had engaged in running a programme with WFP who were currently providing high-energy proteins (HEPs) to TB patients.
And Chituwo said his government would not compromise the quality of treatment just to reach the target of putting 100,000 people on ARVs by the end of this year.
"Patients have to be carefully monitored once they commence treatment to avoid future problems such as resistance to the drug by the patient," he said.
He urged other members of the community to assist the medical personnel especially in the area of counselling as reaching the 100,000 target was not the domain of medical personnel only.
And commenting on the high cost of ARVs and other laboratory costs, Chituwo said government had now started providing free laboratory services and ARVs.
He said the programme was being supported by the Global Fund on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria but could not predict the sustainability of the programme.
"What we need is life-long support and we cannot always depend on donors. Zambians must contribute by creating harmony in the country so that the economic sector is more productive. This will enable government to cushion the provision if the donors decide to pull out," he said.
Chituwo said what was now remaining was for the health permanent secretary to implement the Cabinet decision by issuing circulars to all the hospitals and clinics.
"The medical personnel were saying that they could not start giving out free ARVs because they only heard about this in the media and had not received circulars. However, they must have received the circulars by now from the permanent secretary," said Chituwo.
Source: AllAfrica.com
posted by AIDS-Care-Watch at 9:04 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home