When Medicine Is Not Enough: ‘Medicine alone cannot deliver sustained treatment success’

Health-e News reports that South Africa's HIV response, while successful in providing access to life-saving antiretroviral treatment (ART), is hindered by the fact that many patients are taking their medication on an empty stomach due to food insecurity. This intersection of disease and food insecurity forms a syndemic, where hunger accelerates disease progression, illness erodes earning potential, and reduced income deepens food insecurity, creating a cycle that medicine alone cannot break.

The report emphasizes that treatment success is increasingly dependent on patients' ability to sustain treatment within the constraints of rising food prices, unemployment, and fragile household economies, rather than just drug availability. It highlights how food insecurity weakens immune function and reduces the effectiveness of treatment, particularly for children living with HIV.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) South Africa has implemented a Food for Health Programme, which includes community-led solutions such as clinic-based gardens and peer champions to bridge the gap between treatment and nutrition.

Brief written by urgent.news from Health-e News's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.