The COVID 19 continues to cause mayhem. Lockdowns and strict regulations on ordinary life have left many families with no source of livelihood. Access to treatment for other epidemics such as HIV/AIDS is harder. Many HIV+ children now lack food, thus compromising their nutrition and body health. This exposes them to treatment failure and increased viral load which may cause more deaths even after the pandemic. The project aims at saving the life of 250 HIV+ children by providing food nutrition.
The confirmation of COVID 19 in Uganda in March 2020 came with several measures to curb the spread of the virus, including a total lock-down. This year, we had a second lockdown and we anticipate a third. Despite the effectiveness of the measures, the country's economy has suffered a severe setback with the closure of over 4200 companies and a hike in food prices. The situation has led to limited access to feeding necessities for HIV+ children which affects treatment adherence.
The project aims at providing food relief to families. Appropriate foods including silverfish, beans, fortified porridge, eggs, and milk will be given to 250 HIV positive children in Mityana District of Uganda. The families will also receive tokens to support their transport to the nearest health centres to continue their treatment. Once the children have access to appropriate feeding, they take their HIV treatment effectively to ensure high adherence levels and avoid drug resistance.
The provision of food such as fortified porridge will help improve the health of the children and therefore, their adherence to treatment and avoid risks accompanying poor adherence such as increased viral load and death. The transport support will ensure that the children and their parents have access to the necessary treatment from health centres. The poultry project will put the family on a recovery road from the economic decline. As they say, health is wealth.
