AEGiS-15IAC: Nutritional management, care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Nutritional management, care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. D10071)

Afoakwa EO, Owusu WB, Adjei MR
University of Ghana, Legon - Accra, Ghana

ISSUES: Nutrition and HIV/AIDS are strongly related to each other and any immune impairment as a result of HIV/AIDS leads to malnutrition. Likewise, malnutrition in an a person living with HIV leads to immune impairment which ultimately contributes to more rapid progression to AIDS. Thus malnutrition can both contribute to and result from the progression of HIV. A person who is malnourished and then acquires HIV is more likely to progress faster, because his/her body is already weak and cannot fight infections. Adequate nutrition is essential for everyone to assure a healthy lifestyle. In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 32 million people are infected with HIV.

DESCRIPTION: This paper provides an overview of the HIV/AIDS situation in Sub-Saharan Africa and discusses holistic approaches by which nutritional management, care and support is being used to help people living with HIV/AIDS to remain relatively healthy and economically productive.

LESSONS LEARNED: Nutritional intervention studies conducted in some communities in Africa suggested that early intervention to improve the energy and protein intakes of people living with HIV help build their reserves and reduce their vulnerability to weight loss associated with diarrhoea and other opportunistic infections. As well, improving micronutrient intake and status help strengthen their immune system, reduce adverse consequences of infected-related oxidative stress and lengthen survival.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Recommendations for nutritional management of people living with HIV/AIDS vary, depending on underlying nutritional status and the extent of HIV disease progression. Nutritional management can therefore be used, as part of the holistic HIV/AIDS care package to help people living with HIV/AIDS remains healthy and economically productive, improving the quality of their lives.

Keywords: AEGIS, Africa South of the Sahara, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, Health Services, HIV Infections, Research, Africa, Nutrition, Nutritional Status, Nutrition Assessment, diet therapy, mortality

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