Tanzania: Babati HIV/AIDS Victims in Dire Need of Nutritional Food Arusha Times (Arusha)
Members of a group of people living with HIV/AIDS in Babati have expressed concern over their lives which they say is in danger due to poverty and lack of basic nutritional foods.
The chairperson of the Babati People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA+) Group, Ms. Sofia Ismail said the group with 103 member was facing the problem of getting nutritional food which is vital for people who are in poor health.
Ms Ismail was addressing a delegation of thirteen persons from Amhara Region, Ethiopia who were in an eight-day study tour of Babati District in Manyara Region.
She said that although they were getting free antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, it was also necessary that the drugs be augmented with nutritional foods.
Since their association was formed in December 2005, they have lost eleven members due to inadequate nutrition, she said. "Even getting basic food is a problem", she added.
Although some of them are skilled and are capable of doing some income generating activities they cannot be employed by neither individuals nor institutions because of what she termed "stigmatization."
Out of the 103 members, 30 are orphans and ten are children living with HIV/ADS and now on a course of ARV. She said that both victims and orphaned children do not have any assistance of basic food and school requirements.
"We have orphans in our association who need some assistance on their school fees, clothes, books and stationery. They need to be helped so as to be able to continue attending school," she said.
Narating the catalogue of problems affecting them the chairperson said that they are given ARVs free of charge but cannot afford treating opportunistic disease that are associated with the HIV/AIDs pandemic.
Source: Thomas Ratsin, ProNut-HIV September 2, 2006
The chairperson of the Babati People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA+) Group, Ms. Sofia Ismail said the group with 103 member was facing the problem of getting nutritional food which is vital for people who are in poor health.
Ms Ismail was addressing a delegation of thirteen persons from Amhara Region, Ethiopia who were in an eight-day study tour of Babati District in Manyara Region.
She said that although they were getting free antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, it was also necessary that the drugs be augmented with nutritional foods.
Since their association was formed in December 2005, they have lost eleven members due to inadequate nutrition, she said. "Even getting basic food is a problem", she added.
Although some of them are skilled and are capable of doing some income generating activities they cannot be employed by neither individuals nor institutions because of what she termed "stigmatization."
Out of the 103 members, 30 are orphans and ten are children living with HIV/ADS and now on a course of ARV. She said that both victims and orphaned children do not have any assistance of basic food and school requirements.
"We have orphans in our association who need some assistance on their school fees, clothes, books and stationery. They need to be helped so as to be able to continue attending school," she said.
Narating the catalogue of problems affecting them the chairperson said that they are given ARVs free of charge but cannot afford treating opportunistic disease that are associated with the HIV/AIDs pandemic.
Source: Thomas Ratsin, ProNut-HIV September 2, 2006
posted by AIDS-Care-Watch at 10:10 am
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