Concern calls for action to tackle HIV and food insecurity
Monday, 24 July 2006
Concern has joined forces with other agencies to call for urgent action to tackle the dual epidemics of food insecurity and HIV&AIDS in Africa.
Following a meeting of local NGOs and international public health and development organisations in Zambia in May, the Africa Forum 2006 has issued a declaration calling for greater efforts to integrate food and nutrition security and HIV&AIDS programmes, increase learning and information sharing on integration, and ensure decision making about such programmes is guided by the voices of those most affected.
The roll-out of anti-retroviral therapy in Africa presents an unprecedented opportunity to save the lives of millions of people living with HIV&AIDS (PLHA), but it is jeopardised by the hunger and malnutrition experienced by those who most need treatment. Whilst steps in the right direction have been made, greater efforts are needed to ensure the delivery of truly integrated programmes.
Click here to read the Declaration on the Dual Epidemics of HIV&AIDS and Food Insecurity.
Concern was significatly involved in the drawing up of the declaration, and is thoroughly committed to its content.
In June 2006 Concern convened a meeting of food security, nutrition and HIV&AIDS specialists in London to explore these issues. The conference addressed three key areas of debate: the issue of increased vulnerability to HIV&AIDS infection in food insecure environments and food insecurity as a result of labour shortage or reduced capacity to work; the increased risk of opportunistic infection for PLHA who suffer from nutritional deficiency, and approaches to delivering adequate nutrition for PLHA; and the future of policy development and practice in the Food Security, Nutrition and HIV&AIDS conundrum.
The conference also provided an opportunity to disseminate of key outcomes of the Zambia forum on Food Security, Nutrition and HIV&AIDS.
