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4,800 HIV Patients in Gulu Receive Food Supplements
By Chris Ocowun, New Vision
16/09/2007
Kampala - At least 4,800 people living with HIV/Aids in Gulu district have received food supplements from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Vision.
Kimera Mutebi, The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) district manager, recently said 7,920 people had registered for the programme.
He added that 2,500 people will receive nutritional supplements supplied by ACDI/VOCA, a USAID-funded organisation.
Mutebi said 68% of the people registered with them were female, 32% were male, while 5-10% were children.
"TASO is supporting the men through income-generating activities and sustainable livelihood."
Mutebi said 150 of the 1,049 registered children were undergoing vocational training in catering, carpentry, motor mechanics, hair dressing and tailoring.
He added that the children were training at St. Monica Girls Tailoring School, Gulu Community Vocational School, Bobi Community Polytechnic and Premier Beauty Saloon and Design.
The chairperson of the TASO advisory committee, the Rev. Willy Olango, said HIV/Aids patients were still stigmatised.
He expressed concern that some churches were discouraging people living with HIV/Aids from taking drugs, while others asked for payment for healing prayers.
Olango appealed to displaced persons to find out their sero-status so as to benefit from the programmes run by TASO.
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