Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
South African Press Association (Johannesburg) - January 20, 2003
Bunmi Makinwa of the United Nations Aids agency UNAids told the meeting at Kempton Park that seven million agricultural workers have succumbed to HIV/Aids in 25 African countries since 1985.
Because HIV/Aids affected adults in their most productive years, the burden on children and the elderly increased and traditional coping mechanisms used in times of drought were undermined.
Makinwa said an Aids-related death on a farm household caused crop output to plummet -- often by up to 60 percent.
He said HIV/Aids directly impacted on food security and nutrition for individuals, households and communities. There were reasons for hope but not for complacency, Makinwa said, adding that all SADC governments were committed to the fight against HIV/Aids.
Though some successes had been achieved in reducing infection rates, more resources were still needed, especially in low and middle-income countries.
Makinwa said: "The goal should be prevention, care and treatment in synergy." A person with HIV needed better nutrition to stay healthy as well as medicine including anti-retrovirals. Food assistance and anti-retrovirals must go hand-in-hand, he said.
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