Charlene Smith
In a small, dirty room a man rolls over. His eyes are huge in a gaunt face. Next to him is a jug of water and a packet of creamy powder. He puts some into the cup and slowly stirs it.
This revolutionary porridge LifeForce porridge was developed in South Africa by SMA Technologies and Africa Foods after being approached by Johannesburg-based Community Aids Response (Care) who wanted a very cheap food that could boost the immune systems of those ill with Aids.
The instant porridge is an SABS-approved product made of maize meal, soya, milk powder, flavourings and the immune-boosting vitamins, zinc and selenium. It costs less than 70c.
It also is a weapon being used in fighting multi-drug resistance in killer diseases like tuberculosis (TB) and Aids. The initiative to develop such an affordable nutritional formula is a response to World Health Organisation observations that South African health costs for multi-drug medication could cripple the economy.
The same holds true for patients taking anti-retrovirals to stave off full-blown Aids. If anti-retrovirals are not taken with food, patients become nauseous and an interrupted course of anti-retrovirals can see resistance in the patient’s body to future courses.
The new porridge can also be taken with directly observed therapy (DOT) for TB, which has failed across most of South Africa and other developing countries because the drugs, if taken without food, make the patient nauseous and, because many people go hungry in South Africa, they stop taking the drugs.
LifeForce is already being extensively used by several organisations including Care, Helen Joseph hospital, Soweto Hospice, the Aids Consortium, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union and the Anglican Diocese of Johannesburg Aids project.
Lauren Jankelowitz, project manager of Care, says they support 819 people living with HIV/Aids in Johannesburg. In addition to “providing spiritual, emotional and medical care”, including Nevirapine and formula feed to reduce mother-to-child transmission, they provide clothes and food parcels because most of those they help are indigent.
“Most of our clients do not have their basic needs met and so we assist in terms of food and shelter. But because our funds are limited so is our assistance. This is very frustrating, as many could live healthier for longer if they had access to these basic needs.”
Jankelowitz says they also try to help HIV-infected people tell their partners their status, “the vast majority of men still refuse to wear condoms, they argue that they paid lobola [bride price] and are, therefore, entitled to unrestricted sexual relations.
“Women are too afraid to tell their partners their status, for fear of violence or being abandoned and this places their partners at risk of becoming infected.”
Sibongile Mafata, coordinator of Soweto Hospice says because poverty is prevalent in Soweto “patients are hungry and have to take medication on an empty stomach. The LifeForce porridge has become important to our patients because even very weak patients can prepare a meal for him- or herself.” She says even patients who have painful oral thrush are able to consume the food if they make it quite watery and it also reduces the incidence of diarrhoea.
Patients need only two tablespoons of LifeForce twice a day mixed with one to three cups of water.
A possible problem with the product is that it can only be used with cold water and few people in rural areas have access to clean water. However, Riaan Janeke of LifeForce says sellers are informed of this. “The reason why we say it should preferably not be taken with hot water is that the heat breaks down some of the vitamins and minerals blended into the product, making it less effective.
Care is doing ongoing research into the product and every patient who is given the porridge fills in a questionnaire, which thus far indicates that the product boosts energy, reduces diarrhoea and lessens feelings of nausea or hunger.
The food is sold through agents only as a deliberate job creation project, but also to increase home-based carers in all communities Care trains all food-selling agents in HIV management and care. What this means is that those who sell the product are also reasonably expert on HIV, counselling and care.
Janeke says they are “currently talking to a number of exporters and the interest is very high. We have also had some inquiries from relief agencies, but all want to know if [the] government has approved the product.” LifeForce submitted the product to the government some months ago for approval, but have had no feedback.
The development of the new porridge poses huge opportunities for job creation and export as the world approaches 100-million HIV-infected people by 2005.