Adherence & Retention
Re : [Adherence & Retention] Food assistance is associated with improved body mass index, food security and attendance at clinic in an HIV program in central Haiti: a prospective observational cohort study
Started by Prosper Lutala on 27 Aug 2010
Thank you Rosenthal for posting this article which reflects problems we are meeting in most of our sites.
Some acnedoctal reports confirm those findings in Malawi but the main issue we are facing is the continuity in supply of food in the program.
Also, how to make sure that the food supplied in ART clinic is just used by the targeted patients and not some others vulnerable in the family? Those will remain big challenges for this program
Lutala Prosper, MD, MMed
United Nations Volunteers
Central-East Health Zonal HIV supervisor
Ministry of health/Malawi
Attached resource:
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Food assistance is associated with improved body mass index, food security and attendance at clinic in an HIV program in central Haiti: a prospective observational cohort study (download, 216.9 KB) Food assistance is associated with improved body mass index, food security and attendance at clinic in an HIV program in central Haiti: a prospective observational cohort study (external URL) (click here for more details...) Link leads to: http://www.aidsrestherapy.com/content/7/1/33
Source: AIDS Research and Therapy
Publication Date: August 26, 2010
Language: English
Keywords: Food & Nutrition, Haiti
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Ernest Ekong
Thanks Prosper for your comments. I agree too that the continuity of supplies and ensuring the food gets to the targeted group are crucial. I coordinate a large multi-sited program where we are currently have about 100,000 adults and 10,000 children on ART.
Reports from some of our sites indicate that adults and other non-infected children in families share in the plumpy nut and infant formula (where mother choses this option) in some homes. This is inevitable, considering the general lack of sustained food supply.
There is no doubt that where food is constantly available the BMI will increase. The problems are with the security and sustainability.
Ernest Ekong, MD,MPH,FACP.
Harvard PEPFAR,
Country Director,
Nigeria.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
7:05 AM, 27 Aug 2010 | Permalink
Anat Rosenthal, PhD
Dear Lutala, Ernest and all,
Thank you for your comments.
It seems like the next step is finding ways to improve food security and sustainability in programs. I agree with Lutala that it is hard to make sure patients are getting all the food they need and not sharing it, and with Ernest’s assertion that as long as families suffer from food insecurity, this situation is inevitable. Do you know of programs that are successful in dealing with this challenge?
Warm regards,
Anat
9:27 AM, 27 Aug 2010 | Permalink