Stolen lives project – aiding for AIDS victims
The Aids epidemic in southern Africa has created a generation of orphans. An estimated 5.7 million people were living with HIV and Aids in South Africa in 2009 - a higher number than in any other country.
We assist families and orphans living with AIDS with a healthy balanced meal, clothes, bedding etc.
More information regarding HIV and AIDS More than 1,000 children are newly infected with HIV every day, and of these more than half will die
People living with HIV have great emotional needs and require support for coming to terms with their infection. Some of the feelings that people with HIV will experience include shock or anger at being diagnosed, fear over how the disease will progress, fear of isolation by family and friends, and worries about infecting others. By bearing such a heavy emotional burden it is not surprising that depression is twice as common in people with HIV compared to the general population and that is why Fifty Plus Centre makes HIV infected people feel comfortable and loved no matter what their HIV status is.
It is believed that in 2009, an estimated 310,000 South Africans died of AIDS. Prevalence is 17.8 percent among those aged 15-49, with some age groups being particularly affected. Almost one-in-three women aged 25-29, and over a quarter of men aged 30-34, are living with HIV.
The loss of a parent not only has an immense emotional impact on children but for most families can spell financial hardship. One survey on HIV’s impact on households found that, “80% of the sample would lose more than half their per capita income with the death of the highest income earner, suggesting a lingering and debilitating shock of death.”
It is estimated there are 1.9 million AIDS orphans where one or both parents are deceased in South Africa, and that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is responsible for half of the country’s orphans. Another estimate puts the proportion of maternal orphans – those who have lost their mother – orphaned by AIDS as over 70 percent. Orphans may put pressure on older relatives who become their primary caregivers; they may have to relocate from their familiar neighborhoods; and siblings may be split apart, all of which can harm their development.
For antiretroviral therapy to work, patients must adhere to a daily regimen of ARVs for life. Interrupting treatment can result in HIV becoming drug resistant making first-line therapy no longer effective. Therefore, keeping patients on treatment programmes is imperative and the rise in patients failing to follow up their ART after 36 months is particularly worrying. The HIV virus attacks the immune system this makes a person not able to defend against infections and diseases. That is why we make sure that we assist in the traveling to the clinics and back, so many infected people are isolated from driving in taxi’s as there are always rumors going around.
There is a higher risk of HIV infected persons to get food poisoning from bacteria such as salmonella, shigella and campylobacter. These bacteria can cause death to HIV positive persons. Because of this people with HIV or people who prepare food for HIV patients need to pay close attention to food safety.
There are two different aspects to AIDS nutrition, macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which provide calories. The other part of AIDS nutrition is micronutrients, which are vitamins and minerals. Micronutrients do not add any calories to the diet but help keep cells in the body functioning properly.
Proper nutrition can help AIDS patients in many different ways, good nutrition can keep the immune system stronger for longer, which helps prevent serious AIDS-related health problems. People with AIDS also often have problems with weight loss and wasting. Having a balanced diet can also increase the effectiveness of the medications used to treat HIV, and can also help prevent some of the symptoms associated with HIV/AIDS.
Considerations Although there are no diets that can boost your immune system, when the immune system is fighting off an HIV infection, it needs more energy. People who are underweight and have HIV need to consume extra calories. People who have AIDS may also need to consume more calories to help fight off the more advanced forms of a HIV infection. AIDS patients should consume more protein and calories, which can come in the form of carbohydrates and fats.
Risks One major risk of HIV is wasting syndrome, Wasting syndrome is the gradual result of lean muscle, which is a sign of advanced AIDS, although people who are experiencing wasting syndrome may also lose body fat in addition to muscle. Wasting syndrome can be life-threatening; people who lose more than 5 percent of their body weight who are HIV positive should be seeing a physician about the possibility of wasting syndrome. Wasting syndrome can be prevented by consuming extra calories and protein, as this can help prevent muscle loss.
People with HIV may need to take vitamin supplements, because of the increased nutritional needs of AIDS patients, it can be difficult to get enough vitamins into the diet. Many patients take multivitamins or other supplements, though even with regular supplementation a healthy and well-balanced diet is important.
There for we ask you to adopt a family that is infected with AIDS, so that we can help them with 3 balanced meals per day, fruits, clean bedding, clothes, traveling, vitamins etc
We assist families and orphans living with AIDS with a healthy balanced meal, clothes, bedding etc.
More information regarding HIV and AIDS More than 1,000 children are newly infected with HIV every day, and of these more than half will die
People living with HIV have great emotional needs and require support for coming to terms with their infection. Some of the feelings that people with HIV will experience include shock or anger at being diagnosed, fear over how the disease will progress, fear of isolation by family and friends, and worries about infecting others. By bearing such a heavy emotional burden it is not surprising that depression is twice as common in people with HIV compared to the general population and that is why Fifty Plus Centre makes HIV infected people feel comfortable and loved no matter what their HIV status is.
It is believed that in 2009, an estimated 310,000 South Africans died of AIDS. Prevalence is 17.8 percent among those aged 15-49, with some age groups being particularly affected. Almost one-in-three women aged 25-29, and over a quarter of men aged 30-34, are living with HIV.
The loss of a parent not only has an immense emotional impact on children but for most families can spell financial hardship. One survey on HIV’s impact on households found that, “80% of the sample would lose more than half their per capita income with the death of the highest income earner, suggesting a lingering and debilitating shock of death.”
It is estimated there are 1.9 million AIDS orphans where one or both parents are deceased in South Africa, and that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is responsible for half of the country’s orphans. Another estimate puts the proportion of maternal orphans – those who have lost their mother – orphaned by AIDS as over 70 percent. Orphans may put pressure on older relatives who become their primary caregivers; they may have to relocate from their familiar neighborhoods; and siblings may be split apart, all of which can harm their development.
For antiretroviral therapy to work, patients must adhere to a daily regimen of ARVs for life. Interrupting treatment can result in HIV becoming drug resistant making first-line therapy no longer effective. Therefore, keeping patients on treatment programmes is imperative and the rise in patients failing to follow up their ART after 36 months is particularly worrying. The HIV virus attacks the immune system this makes a person not able to defend against infections and diseases. That is why we make sure that we assist in the traveling to the clinics and back, so many infected people are isolated from driving in taxi’s as there are always rumors going around.
There is a higher risk of HIV infected persons to get food poisoning from bacteria such as salmonella, shigella and campylobacter. These bacteria can cause death to HIV positive persons. Because of this people with HIV or people who prepare food for HIV patients need to pay close attention to food safety.
There are two different aspects to AIDS nutrition, macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which provide calories. The other part of AIDS nutrition is micronutrients, which are vitamins and minerals. Micronutrients do not add any calories to the diet but help keep cells in the body functioning properly.
Proper nutrition can help AIDS patients in many different ways, good nutrition can keep the immune system stronger for longer, which helps prevent serious AIDS-related health problems. People with AIDS also often have problems with weight loss and wasting. Having a balanced diet can also increase the effectiveness of the medications used to treat HIV, and can also help prevent some of the symptoms associated with HIV/AIDS.
Considerations Although there are no diets that can boost your immune system, when the immune system is fighting off an HIV infection, it needs more energy. People who are underweight and have HIV need to consume extra calories. People who have AIDS may also need to consume more calories to help fight off the more advanced forms of a HIV infection. AIDS patients should consume more protein and calories, which can come in the form of carbohydrates and fats.
Risks One major risk of HIV is wasting syndrome, Wasting syndrome is the gradual result of lean muscle, which is a sign of advanced AIDS, although people who are experiencing wasting syndrome may also lose body fat in addition to muscle. Wasting syndrome can be life-threatening; people who lose more than 5 percent of their body weight who are HIV positive should be seeing a physician about the possibility of wasting syndrome. Wasting syndrome can be prevented by consuming extra calories and protein, as this can help prevent muscle loss.
People with HIV may need to take vitamin supplements, because of the increased nutritional needs of AIDS patients, it can be difficult to get enough vitamins into the diet. Many patients take multivitamins or other supplements, though even with regular supplementation a healthy and well-balanced diet is important.
There for we ask you to adopt a family that is infected with AIDS, so that we can help them with 3 balanced meals per day, fruits, clean bedding, clothes, traveling, vitamins etc