Imagine you are being told the news that is supposed to be one of most joyful announcements in life: A baby is on the way. But instead of celebrating this beautiful gift, for many women in South Africa it is a time of worry, a time of feeling guilt and shame. The decision on how to handle pregancy, birth and subsequent care is a tough one for women that are HIV-positive.
With 1 December being World AIDS Day, we focus this month on HIV and AIDS, and the efforts our beneficiary organisations make to assist those living with this condition. Besides the sad fact that AIDS is still an untreatable illness, there are many more hardships infected people, especially women, have to endure. Though around 12 % of the South African population are HIV-positive according to the UNAIDS report of 2007, HIV/AIDS is often still seen as a taboo subject, making it a difficult step to be open about it and call for help: a huge challenge, especially for young pregnant women. Counseling organisations can provide at least a minimum of medication and support from experts and patients. Once a patient has accepted the virus is in her body, there are many ways to lighten the burden that previously she had to bear all alone.
Among the most affected groups of people are pregnant women, with an average HIV prevalence of almost 30%. After the diagnosis they face many difficult questions: Without drug treatment, counseling and good nutrition, the infection rate of the baby lies within 20 - 40 %. The right treatment during pregnancy and delivery can reduce the chance of infection to around 2%.
But the great relief of having given birth to an HIV-negative child is not the end of all worries: Young mothers now have to make a decision between breast feeding and formula feeding. In developed countries, formula feeding programmes are almost always an option. But in developing countries, such as South Africa, clean water, sanitation and health services are not a given. Formula feeding is also expensive, and since once a baby has started formula feeding, reverting back to breast feeding greatly increases the risk of HIV transmission.
This is where support and guidance are absolutely required and FoodBank South Africa is happy to deliver food too many organisations dedicated to those young parents, as well as ensure that clear nutritional guidance is given as to the appropriateness, choices and risks as a mother chooses between formula feeding and breast feeding. We generally do not advocate formula feeding unless we are certain a baby can be safely formula-fed for at least the first six months of its life, and an effective transition to solid food can be made. Where the choice has been made to breastfeed, we try and support those mothers with a good nutritional diet, which, together with medication, can help keep the risk of transmission as low as possible.
And hopefully, through this work, we can add back some of the joy that is part of motherhood, and the pleasure of nuturing one's own child to adulthood.
Your donation can help us support pregnant mothers who are HIV postive raise healthy HIV negative babies. Click here to find out how to do so.
