[health-vn] Integrating HIV, food security and nutrition policies

[Vern Weitzel]

http://www.scidev.net/en/health/policy-briefs/integrating-hiv-food-security-and-nutrition-polici.html

Integrating HIV, food security and nutrition policies
Source: UNAIDS
13 August 2008 | EN

A woman affected by HIV/AIDS grows food for her family in Ethiopia
USAID
This policy brief, published by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 
collaboration with the World Food Programme and the WHO, provides guidance on 
how governments, civil society and international partners can address food and 
nutrition concerns in the context of HIV.

UNAIDS says that poor food security and nutrition are hindering the prevention 
and treatment of HIV/AIDS, and related diseases.

Adequate nutrition is essential to fully benefit from antiretroviral therapy.

Malnutrition in HIV patients can also increase susceptibility to co-infections 
and accelerate progression of HIV-related diseases.

UNAIDS suggests that governments integrate HIV and nutrition programmes by 
incorporating nutrition indicators into HIV monitoring, offering nutritional 
counselling to HIV patients, providing HIV information in agricultural extension 
programmes as well as using farmers organisations as entry points for HIV care 
and support activities.

It recommends that international organisations support — through technical 
assistance and funding — such efforts.

And it proposes that civil society partners increase networking and information 
exchange to improve public understanding of how proper food and nutrition can 
reduce vulnerability to HIV infection, and increase resilience to AIDS.

The UN body cites a Kenyan programme, the Academic Model for the Prevention and 
Treatment of HIV, as an example of best practice. Nutrition support has been 
given to 50,000 people living with HIV and lacking food security across 19 
locations. The majority gained weight, recovered strength and could go back to work.

Link to full article from UNAIDS [241kB]
http://data.unaids.org/pub/Manual/2008/jc1515_policy_brief_nutrition_short_en.pdf

This policy brief has been prepared by UNAIDS with the support of the World Food 
Programme and the WHO.