The global rise in food prices is forcing people in Ethiopia to give up such nutritional staples as vegetables and eggs, compromising a healthy diet. However, for people living with HIV in the country, poor nutrition may create an even greater risk, PlusNews reports (plusnews.org, 6/23).
“ART [antiretroviral treatment] can’t work if people aren’t eating enough; this is where food prices impact more strongly on [positive people],” United Nations World Food Program (WFP) coordinator Gideon Cohen told PlusNews. Food prices in the sub-Saharan African country have risen 40 percent in the past year.
According to the article, a lack of food—coupled with a severe and ongoing drought—has rendered many HIV-positive Ethiopians too weak to work and support their families. Nearly 8 percent of the country’s urban population is living with the virus.
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Richard, Piedmont, 2008-06-26 10:31:16
People with HIV have so much hard times with buying food in the USA as well. I just get $66.00 in food stamps to get food that all I live on because of Gas prices take my cash to drive 3 hours to my doctors in St. Louis, Mo.. They keep on cutting on help for us and the rich still get what they want. I am living in a small farm town that have no clue about HIV. I had a flood this year most of the town was flooded out and after it happen I did not get any help on cleaning up.
Beth Benne, RN, is HIV negative, but
the virus has impacted her life. She currently supervises a biannual HIV/AIDS awareness week as
the director of the student health center at Pierce College, a
community commuter school in Woodland Hills, California.
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