UNAIDS: The First 10 Years

UNAIDS The First 10 Years174The World Food Programme becomes the ninth CosponsorOn 16 October 2003 – World Food Day – the Rome-based World FoodProgramme (WFP) became the ninth Cosponsor of UNAIDS. It is the world’slargest humanitarian agency and focuses on responding to HIV through a range offood aid programmes.• Prevention: Through its school feeding programmes, including take-homerations, some of the most vulnerable children are encouraged to attend school.Education is a key factor in preventing HIV, especially for girls. WFP has alsolinked up with UNICEF, UNFPA and governments in 18 countries tointegrate HIV prevention into school feeding programmes, so children aredoubly protected.• Care and support: WFP provides nutritious food for many people living withHIV, including many receiving antiretroviral treatment. Good nutrition is animportant aspect of treatment; without it, many people find it hard to continueon treatment. It also provides food in many countries to tuberculosis patients inhospitals, thus encouraging them to remain until they are cured, and take-homerations for their families.• Mitigating the impact: many poor households caring for people with AIDSor headed by orphaned children, receive food aid from WFP. In Mozambique,WFP supports chronically ill people and their families through home-based careas well as providing food to day-care centres.• Food for training: Food assistance helps older orphans and children living onthe street learn some marketable skills, food production, literacy and life skills.