Nutrition And HIV/ Aids At Workplaces
By Kelvin Kachingwe, The Times of Zambia (Ndola) Opinionsm September 8, 2005
UNLESS all signs deceive, it seems South African President Thabo Mbeki is being proved right over his adamant stand when he links HIV/AIDS to poverty in Africa.
As has been recognised lately, good nutrition plays a key role in so far as the management of the virus is concerned. Whereas it cannot cure AIDS or prevent HIV infection, nor treat the virus, it can certainly improve fitness and quality of life for people living with the disease.
Furthermore, good nutrition can delay progression from HIV to AIDS-related diseases as well as help maintain and improve the nutritional status of a person with HIV/AIDS.
But more often than not, few people care to check the nutritional content of the food that they take, especially when they are at their workplace.
Although it is normally when people are at their workplace when they care less about the type of food that they eat, it is there that they spend most of their time. For many, it is five of the seven days in a week, and indeed a larger part of the day.
Against that backdrop, the importance of good management in so far as their food is concerned cannot be over-emphasised. And especially those living with the HIV/AIDS.
With that, Lusaka-based Mulilansolo Social Investment Fund principal co-ordinator, Stephen Chama and board chairperson, Evans Mwale have been working on ways of responding to HIV/AIDS in workplaces by encouraging good nutrition.
The first show of impetus into the programme was a workshop last week at the Longacres Lodge in Lusaka under the theme "Nutrition and HIV/AIDS at workplaces".
The two-day workshop was attended by workers from a host of companies and organisations that included Standard Chartered Bank, Lusaka City Council, ZAMPOST, Office of the President, Zambia State Insurance Corporation, Zambian Breweries and Ministry of Community Development and Social Services.
One of the things that came out strongly during the deliberations was that what many Zambians term as good food actually lacks nutrients, and should if anything, be discouraged.
To many a Zambian, a good meal is one with, say, beef, pork, chicken and chips. These are normally prepared in a lot of oil and spices. Anything less than that is not a good meal, according to many Zambians.
With that, to be seen to be eating such foods as Kapenta, vegetables, and other traditional foods, will not be considered as good food.
Little wonder, a number of people, during their lunch break at work, would only settle for chicken and chips, and one of the carbonated drinks.
Examined closely, some of these foods, especially in the way they are prepared, and how they are grown, could be said to be silent killers.
It is, therefore, important that in workplaces, good nutrition is encouraged for everyone, but more especially for those living with HIV.
This is so because nutritional care in HIV and AIDS prevention and management in workplaces improves survival rates of those infected.
According to Dorothy Nthani, a specialist in food science and nutrition, there is a vicious cycle involving malnutrition and HIV.
For a person with HIV, there is a likelihood that with poor nutrition, they will have an impaired immune system with a poor ability to fight HIV and other opportunistic infections.
But with good nutrition, not only does it help to extend survival time and improve quality of life, it also strengthens the body's ability to wade off these infections.
Furthermore, better nutrition allows HIV positive individuals to live longer, keep families together and stabilise communities in that there will be a reduced number of orphans and vulnerable children.
Simply stated, any one suffering from malnutrition and disease is at a much greater risk.
Therefore, where poor and hungry people are affected by HIV, food aid should be part of the care programmes to boost nutrition and food security.
However, in some cases, institutional meals may be the only decent food available, and as such great care and thought must be put in quality and quantity of meals provided.
For Mrs Nthani, good nutrition is when one eats a variety of safe and right foods in the right quantities to meet the body's needs.
"A balanced diet is one that has a variety of foods, all the nutrients in the right amounts (proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fibre, etc). It must contain daily combinations of nutrients to meet the body's functional needs.
"It must, however, be emphasised that if the body does not get enough food, it becomes weak and cannot develop or function properly," she points out.
But even then, she emphasises that nutritional care and support are important from the early stages of the infection to prevent the development of nutritional deficiencies.
Mrs Nthani further points out that a healthy and balanced nutrition is important for people living with HIV because it promotes their well-being, self esteem and positive attitudes to life for themselves first and their families as well.
As a result of that, she says healthy and balanced nutrition should be one of the goals of counselling and care for people at all stages of HIV infection.
Regarding the workplace, it may be necessary to get a nutritionist who will look after the nutritional welfare of employees.
"An effective workplace programme of nutritional care and support will improve the quality of life by maintaining people's body weight and strength, replacing lost vitamins and minerals, improving the function of the immune system and the body's ability to fight infections.
"It will further improve response to treatment, reducing time and money spent on health care, keeping HIV-infected people active, allowing them to take care of themselves and their families and keeping positive people productive, able to work, grow food and contribute to the income of their families," she says.
Like Mrs Nthani, another health education specialist, Siakwando Makono, emphasised the need for good nutrition as a complementary therapy in HIV and AIDS care.
Mr Makono says HIV/AIDS persons should plan their diets in such a way that it is balanced and does not cause adverse effects. He says because of that, it is vital to discuss diet arrangements
with a trained health provider.
This makes the buying of appropriate foods easy especially when all family members are aware of the nutritional requirements of a person living with the virus.
"Food should be kept safe for human consumption. HIV/AIDS persons require food that is kept well to avoid passing infection. It is, for instance, recommended that they avoid foods that are extensively cold or hot. Foods with a strong aroma such as those containing curry should be avoided.
"For those with mouth sores or pain, they should keep away from citrus fruits, spices and abrasive foods. The same goes for alcohol which makes them pass a lot of urine while increasing the loss of water from the body," he says.
Be that as it may, Mr Makono points out that good nutrition, or indeed any boosters, are not alternatives to ARVs. They act as complementary therapies, enhancing the body's immunity and complementing the work of ARVs.
"ARVs reduce the multiplication of viruses and the body requires good nutrition and other supplements that strengthen the body.
Some complementary therapies reduce stress, depression and anxiety that may reduce the body's immune system strength," he says.
With that, one of the participants, Tasheni Makumbi, was of the view that like the Kenneth Kaunda Children of Africa Foundation is doing, there is need to encourage the consumption of more indigenous foods which have been proved to contain a good amount of nutrients.
Hopefully therefore, there will be renewed enthusiasm to consume more of the indigenous foods, which are readily available, affordable and nutritious unlike the famous chips and chicken.
It is your health at stake after all.
Source: allAfrica.com
UNLESS all signs deceive, it seems South African President Thabo Mbeki is being proved right over his adamant stand when he links HIV/AIDS to poverty in Africa.
As has been recognised lately, good nutrition plays a key role in so far as the management of the virus is concerned. Whereas it cannot cure AIDS or prevent HIV infection, nor treat the virus, it can certainly improve fitness and quality of life for people living with the disease.
Furthermore, good nutrition can delay progression from HIV to AIDS-related diseases as well as help maintain and improve the nutritional status of a person with HIV/AIDS.
But more often than not, few people care to check the nutritional content of the food that they take, especially when they are at their workplace.
Although it is normally when people are at their workplace when they care less about the type of food that they eat, it is there that they spend most of their time. For many, it is five of the seven days in a week, and indeed a larger part of the day.
Against that backdrop, the importance of good management in so far as their food is concerned cannot be over-emphasised. And especially those living with the HIV/AIDS.
With that, Lusaka-based Mulilansolo Social Investment Fund principal co-ordinator, Stephen Chama and board chairperson, Evans Mwale have been working on ways of responding to HIV/AIDS in workplaces by encouraging good nutrition.
The first show of impetus into the programme was a workshop last week at the Longacres Lodge in Lusaka under the theme "Nutrition and HIV/AIDS at workplaces".
The two-day workshop was attended by workers from a host of companies and organisations that included Standard Chartered Bank, Lusaka City Council, ZAMPOST, Office of the President, Zambia State Insurance Corporation, Zambian Breweries and Ministry of Community Development and Social Services.
One of the things that came out strongly during the deliberations was that what many Zambians term as good food actually lacks nutrients, and should if anything, be discouraged.
To many a Zambian, a good meal is one with, say, beef, pork, chicken and chips. These are normally prepared in a lot of oil and spices. Anything less than that is not a good meal, according to many Zambians.
With that, to be seen to be eating such foods as Kapenta, vegetables, and other traditional foods, will not be considered as good food.
Little wonder, a number of people, during their lunch break at work, would only settle for chicken and chips, and one of the carbonated drinks.
Examined closely, some of these foods, especially in the way they are prepared, and how they are grown, could be said to be silent killers.
It is, therefore, important that in workplaces, good nutrition is encouraged for everyone, but more especially for those living with HIV.
This is so because nutritional care in HIV and AIDS prevention and management in workplaces improves survival rates of those infected.
According to Dorothy Nthani, a specialist in food science and nutrition, there is a vicious cycle involving malnutrition and HIV.
For a person with HIV, there is a likelihood that with poor nutrition, they will have an impaired immune system with a poor ability to fight HIV and other opportunistic infections.
But with good nutrition, not only does it help to extend survival time and improve quality of life, it also strengthens the body's ability to wade off these infections.
Furthermore, better nutrition allows HIV positive individuals to live longer, keep families together and stabilise communities in that there will be a reduced number of orphans and vulnerable children.
Simply stated, any one suffering from malnutrition and disease is at a much greater risk.
Therefore, where poor and hungry people are affected by HIV, food aid should be part of the care programmes to boost nutrition and food security.
However, in some cases, institutional meals may be the only decent food available, and as such great care and thought must be put in quality and quantity of meals provided.
For Mrs Nthani, good nutrition is when one eats a variety of safe and right foods in the right quantities to meet the body's needs.
"A balanced diet is one that has a variety of foods, all the nutrients in the right amounts (proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fibre, etc). It must contain daily combinations of nutrients to meet the body's functional needs.
"It must, however, be emphasised that if the body does not get enough food, it becomes weak and cannot develop or function properly," she points out.
But even then, she emphasises that nutritional care and support are important from the early stages of the infection to prevent the development of nutritional deficiencies.
Mrs Nthani further points out that a healthy and balanced nutrition is important for people living with HIV because it promotes their well-being, self esteem and positive attitudes to life for themselves first and their families as well.
As a result of that, she says healthy and balanced nutrition should be one of the goals of counselling and care for people at all stages of HIV infection.
Regarding the workplace, it may be necessary to get a nutritionist who will look after the nutritional welfare of employees.
"An effective workplace programme of nutritional care and support will improve the quality of life by maintaining people's body weight and strength, replacing lost vitamins and minerals, improving the function of the immune system and the body's ability to fight infections.
"It will further improve response to treatment, reducing time and money spent on health care, keeping HIV-infected people active, allowing them to take care of themselves and their families and keeping positive people productive, able to work, grow food and contribute to the income of their families," she says.
Like Mrs Nthani, another health education specialist, Siakwando Makono, emphasised the need for good nutrition as a complementary therapy in HIV and AIDS care.
Mr Makono says HIV/AIDS persons should plan their diets in such a way that it is balanced and does not cause adverse effects. He says because of that, it is vital to discuss diet arrangements
with a trained health provider.
This makes the buying of appropriate foods easy especially when all family members are aware of the nutritional requirements of a person living with the virus.
"Food should be kept safe for human consumption. HIV/AIDS persons require food that is kept well to avoid passing infection. It is, for instance, recommended that they avoid foods that are extensively cold or hot. Foods with a strong aroma such as those containing curry should be avoided.
"For those with mouth sores or pain, they should keep away from citrus fruits, spices and abrasive foods. The same goes for alcohol which makes them pass a lot of urine while increasing the loss of water from the body," he says.
Be that as it may, Mr Makono points out that good nutrition, or indeed any boosters, are not alternatives to ARVs. They act as complementary therapies, enhancing the body's immunity and complementing the work of ARVs.
"ARVs reduce the multiplication of viruses and the body requires good nutrition and other supplements that strengthen the body.
Some complementary therapies reduce stress, depression and anxiety that may reduce the body's immune system strength," he says.
With that, one of the participants, Tasheni Makumbi, was of the view that like the Kenneth Kaunda Children of Africa Foundation is doing, there is need to encourage the consumption of more indigenous foods which have been proved to contain a good amount of nutrients.
Hopefully therefore, there will be renewed enthusiasm to consume more of the indigenous foods, which are readily available, affordable and nutritious unlike the famous chips and chicken.
It is your health at stake after all.
Source: allAfrica.com
posted by AIDS-Care-Watch at 10:02 pm
0 comments
