Influence of Food Supplements on Testing for HIV and Aids and Adhering to Treatment in a Resource Poor Rural Setting: A Case of Chivuna, Southern Zambia

Abstract

Abstract:Background: There is a serious dearth of literature, particularly on Zambia, on the influential role of food supplements on people's decision to take up an HIV test, start and adhere to AIDS treatment. Methods: Using data from a large ethnographic qualitative study in a resource poor rural setting in Zambia, this paper examines and documents the critical role of food supplements in influencing people to go for HIV testing, initiate treatment and stick to it. Results: Findings show that people who felt food insecure were reluctant to go for a test, thereby not accessing treatment and care services. The narratives revealed numerous aspects of food supplements, HIV testing, ART uptake and adherence, including desire to have access to food due to food insecurity, hoping and wishing to be found positive to access food, envying the HIV positive accessing food, desiring to have physical transformation and healthy-looking bodies enabled by increased access to food, reluctance and avoidance of taking the drugs without food, and worries about food once on medication. Conclusion: The study has shown a close link between food supplements, willingness to test, start taking medication and adherence. Therefore, food supplements should be made an integral part of HIV and AIDS related services in resource poor settings. This means devising more sustainable cross-sectional approaches to foster food security and general livelihoods, such as initiation of income generating activities among vulnerable rural poor, particularly those living with HIV and AIDS.

Patient-Related Factors Influencing Adherence to ART, A Case of Chivuna, Southern Province of Zambia

“…Several studies from elsewhere and within the region have explored factors influencing adherence from the patient's environment such as the health facility, community, structural and medicines. For instance, while some of these studies raise issues related to the way the health care system is organised, such as inadequacies in the health facility including shortage of staff, lack of confidentiality and trust among health care providers, distance to health care centres and related costs, long waiting times and stock outs of AIDS medicines to mention but a few [3] [4] [5] [6]. The other concerns like food and mistrust of health care providers have also been identified by Mukherjee [7] [8].…”