By Kemo Cham
A World Food Programme project that provides crucial nutrition for HIV and tuberculosis patients in Sierra Leone has received a major boost which will enable it expand the number of beneficiaries.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has provided US$3.1 million to the programme which will see the UN food agency scale up its nutritional support for over 20,000 Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) and TB patients, according to a statement received by Politico.
Last year, the programme supported about 5,900 ART patients, the statement from WFP says.
People living with HIV are known to have weakened immune systems, and experts say adequate nutrition is essential for effective treatment for any illness, particularly so for such patients.
Out of an estimated 54,000 people known to be living with HIV in Sierra Leone, only 14,000 are said to be on ART.
WFP, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, is providing the nutrition support to ART clients & TB patients through community health centres across the country. With this Global Fund support, the agency will be able to purchase staple foods including rice, pulses and fortified vegetable oil, the statement says, adding that a food basket containing these items will be provided to undernourished ART/TB patients and their families.
Additional fortified blended food like Super Cereal, a highly nutritious corn-soya blend, is also part of the package for ART and TB patients for the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition.
Peter Scott-Bowden, WFP Representative in Sierra Leone, says in the statement that the partnership with the government enhances service delivery to undernourished ART and TB patients, and ensures they adhere to treatment.
“With the support of the Government and the Global Fund, WFP’s food assistance will help maintain effective treatment for people living with HIV and TB in Sierra Leone,” he adds.
“Treatment, counselling, food and supplement deserve equal status in our priority setting in combating HIV & AIDS,” says Dr. Momodu Sesay, Director of the National AIDS Secretariat.
WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food in emergencies and working with communities to build resilience.
(C) Politico 2016
