KIGALI, 10 March 2009 (IRIN) - The UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Rwanda is expanding its 'Food for ART [antiretroviral therapy]' programme, which tries to improve the health of people living with HIV and their families by providing them with a nutritious diet.

WFP aims to more than triple the number of beneficiaries. "We are looking at adding 10,000 beneficiaries to the programme before the end of this year," Abdoulaye Balde, WFP's country director in Rwanda, told IRIN/PlusNews.

About 5,000 people are enrolled in the programme, but expansion will increase the number of sites providing food from 61 to 138, and the number of districts covered from 18 to 30. WFP's partners include the Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation, Partners in Health, and Family Health International.

Peter Hashaka, a former taxi driver, has been looking after his young family on his own since his wife passed away from HIV-related complications four years ago; since then he and one of his children have also tested positive for HIV.

He told IRIN/PlusNews that finding food for his family had been difficult until he enrolled in WFP's food-for-ART programme four months ago. "Every week we receive foodstuffs like rice, beans and sometimes tinned fish."

Poor nutrition weakens the body's defences against the virus, hastens progress from HIV to AIDS, and makes it difficult to take the medication, which can increase appetite. Enough food can also help reduce some side effects of the drugs and promote adherence to the regimen.

About 45,000 Rwandans are on ART, but high population growth, loss of soil productivity due to poor farming methods and changing weather patterns mean that the country does not produce enough food; according to WFP, an estimated 33 percent of the population are undernourished.

nb/kr/he

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