…..Plwhas Advised

A senior officer of the HIV/AIDS and Food Security at the food and agriculture organization of the United Nations, Dr. Rugalema has advised HIV/AIDS People Living With Aids (PLWHAS) especially those in the rural areas make balanced diet key to their survival since food and nutrition are central to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

It is important for People Living With Aids to adopt a way of eating a balanced diet to ensure that the body is getting all the food it needs to assist it in fighting diseases and help individuals to purse an active life as long as possible, he stated.

Dr. Rugalema said there is the need to explore and strengthen the role of food and security in HIV/AIDS prevention, care treatment and impact mitigation.

According to him, people living with HIV/AIDS should adopt more proactive mechanism in terms of food nutrition and security to ensure that balanced diet which is essential in managing the reduction and eventual eradication of HIV/AIDS yield the desired results.

Adding that society, can not fail in this enterprise as HIV/AIDS threatens our very existence.

Dr. Regulema who was speaking on the topic "HIV/AIDS and nutrition in the rural areas" made this known to a group of journalists at a pre-conference training programme an international aids conference in Toronto, Canada.

He highlighted on the fact that food insecurity and hence poor nutrition compromises with the immune system, therefore poorly nourished individuals are more likely to contract HIV easily and develop aids and die from it faster.

He said the fight against hiv/aids calls for a holistic approach, and urged persons infected and affected with the disease to make nutrition the basis for healthier and happier life.

According to him good nutrition confers benefits in helping the immune system to fight diseases in the sense that ,good nutrition and secured individuals are more likely to adhere to anti retroviral (ARV) medication, and may be the only available life prolonging alternative to the vast majority of people living with hiv/aids.

Dr. Regulema advised that, the only thing that will help the vast majority of people living with HIV and AIDS to feel better, live longer, be happier and more productive, is improved nutrition.

He further stated that when it comes to the reality of nutrition and food security, it is not only infected HIV and aids persons that are at risk of malnutrition; he said affected people needs attention too, with the elderly and orphans as well as other vulnerable children being a priority.

He urged policy makers to take a critical look at the role of food and nutrition security in HIV/AIDS control, to give it proper attention in the implementation of HIV/AIDS policies and programming.

Dr Regulema charged the media to educate and influence opinion of the general public to use practical interventions in nutrition as part of education in the fight against HIV and aids.