ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳

Leonardo, a LGBTQ rights activist, learned he was HIV-positive when he took a test in 2018 as he was about to travel abroad.

¡°The doctor did not say anything ¨C she just started sorting forms. I knew then she was going to tell me I was positive ¨C there had never been forms before. I felt like I was drowning, falling into the void. When the doctor broke the news, I knew already from the way she acted.¡± 

Three years on, Leonardo says that knowing he was HIV-positive has changed his life. ¡°Perhaps for the better,¡± he reflects, ¡°as you are more mindful of your health.¡±

¡°I have changed some of my habits ¨C I have a healthier diet, I go to the gym, which I did not use to do before, I am more careful in my relationships. I understand that all this is good form me.¡±

Leonardo was one of 100 people who took part in a month-long series of nutrition workshops organized by the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ (WFP) in in the city of Cochabamba, in central Bolivia. Ranging in age between 14 and 63, participants received the equivalent of US$51 in cash upon completion of the programme, as a contribution to a nutritious diet. 

Nutrition is a key element for people living with HIV. Adults with HIV have increased energy needs, ranging from 10 percent more calories, in the absence of symptoms, to up to 20¨C30 percent more when symptoms are present.  But it is not just about calories.

As ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳nutritionist Pamela Cadena explains, ¡°knowing what foods to choose is of vital importance for people whose immune system is compromised ¨C with the right diet they can boost their defences and improve their health and quality of life.¡±

¡°In the workshops we cover every aspect of nutrition, starting from the basics,¡± adds ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳programme officer M¨®nica Via?a. ¡°Our goal is to enable participants to choose their food better, but also to use their resources better,¡± she says. ¡°We know that people living with HIV, in general, are a very vulnerable group. They tend to have lower incomes due to a number of complications associated to their condition. So what we do is strengthen their awareness and give them the information they need to improve their diets ¨C both in terms of quality and quantity.¡±

For Leonardo, the workshops have been an eye-opener.  ¡°I used to think it would be sufficient to take my medicines,¡± he says. ¡°I actually think everyone should attend these workshops, not just  those of us who live with HIV, as they would learn about the importance of nutrition to lead a healthy life.¡±

According to Leonardo, much remains to be done to create awareness around HIV, which many still consider a death sentence. ¡°With the right information, I learned I can have a long life,¡± he says. 

He now strives to be a role model for other youths living with HIV, and to raise awareness on how to prevent contagion. 

¡°There are many young people ¨C kids as young as 15 or 16 ¨C who are HIV-positive and are afraid of telling their parents. They even consider running away with their partners because they are afraid of what their famlies will say. But I tell them that¡¯s not right. I try to help them by telling them my story.¡±

Learn more about WFP's work in Bolivia