Dear Lactnetters

I'm looking forward to an open discussion about HIV and the issue of
free formula and hope that those of you who are interested have been
able to look at some of the Vancouver conference abstracts.

"What about clean water, fuel to sterilize water, a health system to
treat the illnesses due to formula feeding?"
I second Jack's concerns, as do many South Africans, including Dr
Gray and her colleagues.  According to my information, a
blanket policy of "dishing out formula" is not what they are
advocating.

Please bear with me through the following:-
I live in a comfortable, middle-class suburb of
sophisticated, squalid, heart-warming, heart-wrenching Johannesburg
- with clean running water from my taps and excellent health
services (private).  Within a kilometre - less than a mile for the
unmetric! - of my house, there are people living in the reeds along
the spruit (stream).  We see the fires late at night and the washing
hanging on the electricity pylons.  The water from the spruit is used
for cooking and cleaning (and more than likely, also for ablutions).
These people could access some clean water from the public facilities
in the nearby park, possibly from neighbouring gardens.  There is a
municipal "well-baby" clinic up the road.  Should HIV+ moms living in
these circumstances be able to get free supplies of formula, bottles
and teats, and sterilising fluid (they are unlikely to be able to
afford to buy the quantity required)?

We suspect that there may be many more HIV+ moms than the current 20%
(I think) of antenatal attendees at Baragwanath (just one of many
large hospitals in South Africa).  We have about 20,000 people moving
into informal settlements of Gauteng every month - these people come
from poor, rural areas of S.A. as well as many from Mozambique,
Zimbabwe, Malawi and further north.

Yes, we need to work on the problems of job creation, provision of
clean water, housing, electrification, health services, illegal
immigrants, rural development and support systems for HIV+ people.

What options do we provide for the HIV+ mom living down the road now?
 I believe that the figure for admissions of AIDS babies to the
paediatric ward at Baragwanath is around 50%.

Regards, Lynn.
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Lynn Moony
Johannesburg, South Africa
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