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reland.

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AF-AIDS eForum 2003: [email protected]

"We Need Food and Drugs"

Harare, Zimbabwe- "We need food and drugs," - has emerged as the message
the world should get loud and clear from People living with HIV and AIDS
from the ongoing Harare, Pan African Treatment Access Movement (PATAM)
conference.

Speaking during a session on 'Understanding Antiretroviral (ARV) therapy'
led by Francoise Louis a Technical Advisor on ARVs with Medicins Sans
Frontieres (MSFE) (Doctors without borders) a united voice of AIDS
activists noted that good nutrition and drugs are critical components in
the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Louis' presentation explored in detail how ARV therapy has reduced a death
sentence of HIV infection to a simple chronic illness. Reducing stigma and
discrimination associated with the virus.

ARV therapy although expensive is available and it has changed lives of
many, bringing hope for life. It helps reduce the viral levels in the body
through reducing the reproduction of the virus in the body. It also helps
to repair the damaged immune system of the body.

It emerged in the discussion that a successful treatment plan has to be
holistic in nature and incorporates issues of nutrition. Nutrition is
important to help the body rebuild and repair the cells damaged by the
virus. Eating well nutritious food helps the body fight any disease.

Nutrition on its own cannot cure AIDS but it is important to reinforce
treatment for opportunistic infections and ARV therapy.

Both nutrition and antiretroviral therapy are integral in the fight
against the virus and they need to be provided together not one or the
other.

Louis is working in the region on a number of initiatives to roll out ARVs
to the public and to educate health workers in the handling of these
complex drugs. She is scheduled to visit Zimbabwe in August on a mission
to help MSFE in their ARV roll out plan.

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