Nutritional Support to People Living with HIV/AIDS

At a June 2006 summit on AIDS, the UN General Assembly confirmed that proper nutrition and food security are essential for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. Food insecurity exacerbates the vicious cycle of poverty, malnutrition and disease progression, all of which adversely affect the health and well-being of (PLWHA) and their household members. Poor nutrition also increases the susceptibility to infection, and can compromise the efficacy of and adherence to medication.

In 2006 in Cambodia, HKI began to tailor its successful Homestead Food Production (HFP) programs to meet the special needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic diseases. The HFP gardens feature plants that are relatively easy to maintain and don't require hard physical labor, which is critical for PLWHA. The variety of flavors of the nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, eggs and poultry help to increase food intake and to limit weight loss and further deterioration of nutritional status.

HKI provides start-up materials including seeds, seedlings, saplings and chickens to establish garden and poultry systems for year-round production, as well as nutrition education, cooking classes, basic HIV/AIDS education, and training on agricultural and poultry production. Nutrition education sessions use behavior change techniques to educate family members about healthy feeding practices for infants, children, mothers and others including those infected by HIV, and promote the regular consumption of the micronutrient-rich foods. As with all HFP programs, surplus food can be sold for additional household income, which, as HKI found in Cambodia, is a critical support for many PLWHA who may not be working otherwise. In addition, the program has been shown to reduce stigma against PLWHA in their communities by linking them to a social network. To read more about HKI’s HFP programs, please click here.

In sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly in Eastern and Southern Africa, those overseeing national nutrition policies and programs are demanding more guidance on the implications of HIV and specific support for people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS. Through the West African Health Organization WAHO), the official health agency of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), HKI played a key role in facilitating a technical update session on nutrition and HIV and AIDS for the ECOWAS Nutrition Forum in September 2004. HKI worked closely with South Africa's Medical Research Council, the Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET) and Makerere University to undertake a multi-country study that explored the connections between HIV/AIDS and food and nutrition security. HKI is also working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and WHO to help organize a regional consultation on nutrition and HIV/AIDS for francophone West African countries that is scheduled for late 2008.

In Cote d'Ivoire, HKI helps improve the nutritional status of HIV-positive women who are either pregnant or lactating and their families by providing nutrition education and counseling, distributing micronutrient supplements, such as vitamin A, iron/ folic acid and zinc, and promoting the use of Sprinkles, powdered micronutrients added directly to food. HKI also provided nutritional rehabilitation for malnourished children.

In Senegal, HKI created a package of essential nutritional services that can be integrated into existing services at health facilities. HKI produced learning guides, counseling tools, monitoring cards and trained over 150 district health care workers. HKI also played a key role in supporting the Ministry of Health in developing Senegal's nutrition policies and programs that are related to the care and support of HIV/AIDS affected orphans and vulnerable children.