[pronut-hiv] Nestle warns S. Africa of infant formula shortage

["ProNut-HIV" <pronut-hiv@healthnet.org>]

Nestle warns S. Africa of infant formula shortage

Last Updated: 2005-08-15 12:26:45 -0400 (Reuters Health)

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Swiss food maker Nestle on Monday warned South Africa of possible shortages of a the infant formula "Pelargon," which the government has selected to help reduce the risk of transmission of HIV infection from mothers to infants through breast milk.

South Africa's government has estimated that about 260 babies contract HIV each day, and 28 percent of pregnant women are HIV-positive. Across the country, more than 5 million of the 45 million population are infected with the virus.

The government has over the past year rolled out public AIDS treatment, including life-prolonging antiretroviral drugs. Pelargon is given free to patients.

But supply problems are slowing implementation, spurring fears the pandemic will continue to outpace efforts to fight it.

The Department of Health said on Monday that Nestle had warned of expected supply problems and that some health facilities were already running short.

"There was a first indication in June that they had some internal problems but then the understanding was that there might be some way of working around it," said Health Department spokesman Sibani Mngadi. "We need to establish the extent of the challenges."

Mngadi said some facilities, mainly around Johannesburg, had already experienced shortages of the formula but that these were being covered through back-up stock from other regions.

Nestle said the shortage was due in part to increased demand for the formula and had been exacerbated by a worker strike at production facilities and new logistics procedures.

"While we have overcome the aforementioned difficulties, the gap created by our difficulties to supply, and having experienced a 20 percent increase in sales in 2004, have been considerable," Nestle said in a statement.

The company said it had reopened a closed Pelargon production factory and commissioned its Brazil subsidiary to help it meet South African market needs.

"The supply will improve over the coming weeks and should gradually normalize as of October," the statement said.

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