People living with HIV in Giyani, rural Limpopo, are defaulting on life-saving medications because they do not have the money to travel to the clinic or cannot afford the healthy diet required to take the medication

A concerning trend has emerged in the villages of Giyani, Limpopo. Home-based care workers in the community say numerous people living with HIV/Aids are defaulting on their medication, putting their health and lives at risk.

They highlight that one of the reasons for defaulting is food insecurity, which points to a need for targeted support and interventions from the government and non-governmental organisations so patients can receive the support they need to manage their conditions and live healthy lives.

"I had to stop taking my antiretroviral treatments because I couldn't afford proper daily food," said a 50-year-old woman from Mahlathi in Giyani, Limpopo, who wishes to remain anonymous.

She said she was diagnosed with HIV/Aids in 2010 when she had gone to the clinic because she had the flu. After testing positive for HIV, she received counselling and began treatment of three pills a day - two in the morning and one in the evening.

However in 2014, she struggled to accept her condition and found it hard to take the pills consistently. Sometimes she would stop taking them because she did not feel sick.

In 2015 she started getting sick again and went to another clinic in the village....