Reports show that persons living with HIV/Aids (PLWHA) in the Acholi sub region are facing challenges in adhering to treatment due to poor nutrition.
This has caused complications among those on the lifesaving treatment.
Ms Pamela Abonyo, a Coordinator for People Living with HIV/Aids in Gulu says majority of individuals on ARV treatment (Anti-Retroviral) are facing a lot of challenges when it comes to getting proper nutrition.
Speaking to Acholi Times on Friday on the sideline of Candle Lighting Commemoration at Kaunda Grounds, Ms Abonyo said some patients eat once in a day instead of the recommended three times a day.
Ms Abonyo who has lived with the virus since 2003 explained that people living with HIV/Aids should eat iron, protein, carbohydrates and fruits in each meal that they eat.
But she said because they have been weakened and cannot afford a well balanced meal, Aids patients are no long taking their drugs as per the prescription.
She explained that, “This has led to dizziness, loss of appetite, (Tuberculosis) TB multidrug resistance. This is putting patients at a greater risk because of poor eating frequency.”
The Coordinator for People Living with HIV/Aids revealed that some people have failed to recover since their CD4 counts have failed to get a boost due to failure to eat sufficient diet.
Already 33 patients who are HIV positive and on TB treatment have developed multi drug resistance TB.
They appealed to government and other development partners to consider supporting families of persons living with HIV with farm inputs such as seeds and opening land for cultivation so that they can live longer.
After cessation of hostilities following the over two decades of insurgency, dozens of humanitarians organizations that were supporting PLWHA scaled down their activities in northern Uganda creating service delivery gap.
Mr Peter Ogenga, the Program Coordinator of Children of the World Foundation (COW), a CBO that works to fight HIV infections among the community in Kitgum says, “Nutritional care remains very key in the fight against HIV/Aids.”
He said COW has so far supported 80 families affected with HIV/Aids in vegetation growing project to supplement their diet.
The food crops grown under the FEED Project among others include cabbages, onions, egg plants, okra and groundnuts.
HIV/Aids experts say nutritional and micronutrient deficiencies play an important additive role in immune degradation and impaired development in HIV positive persons especially in sub Saharan Africa.
