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Programs
Integrating Nutrition and Food Support within HIV Care and Treatment Programs

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FEBRUARY 2008 — "Evidence-based guidance on nutrition and food support for patients living with HIV and AIDS." That's what participants at FHI's Global Technical Leadership Meeting in Accra, Ghana, said they wanted and saw as a priority.

To address this need, FHI staff who specialize in care and treatment sought the expertise of Australia's Albion Street Centre to help develop a concise, practical guide on nutrition for technical staff and clinicians engaged in HIV/AIDS programs.

The result is the HIV, Nutrition and Food: A Practical Guide for Technical Staff and Clinicians. Targeted to resource-limited settings, the new publication

  • describes the links between food, nutrition, and HIV infection
  • details the nutritional needs of specific groups
  • summarizes commonly used food and nutrition interventions
  • provides an overview of FHI case studies
  • includes nutrition screening and assessment tools appropriate for infants, children, and adults

Within its discussions of key nutritional issues, the guide presents interventions that can be incorporated within the care of HIV-infected patients in clinical settings. As the guide states, "Nutrition interventions can improve health outcomes, and are an integral part of HIV care at any stage of disease and throughout the life cycle."
 
A second document, Guidance for Operationalizing the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Policy: Using Funds to Address Food and Nutrition Needs, helps to clarify the current policy of the Emergency Plan (PEPFAR) on nutrition-related activities. It lists nutrition-related interventions that can and cannot be funded, in accordance with the HIV and Food Security Conceptual Framework that PEPFAR released in September 2007. FHI country office staff and others engaged in coordinating and implementing HIV projects will benefit from this guidance and ensure compliance with PEPFAR policies.

Indeed, the two documents should interest all technical staff and clinicians who seek to integrate nutrition and food support within HIV care and treatment programs. The documents can be downloaded above, and feedback and requests for a copy of a CDRom with both publications can be sent to aidspubs@fhi.org, with the words "Nutrition in Care" in the subject line.

Related Resource: 
Paquet intégré de services essentiels de nutrition pour les PVVIH ("An Integrated Package of Essential Nutrition Services for PLHA")

PHOTO: Produce harvested in the garden of Fann Hospital's ambulatory care treatment center in Senegal helps patients improve their health and adhere to treatment. (FHI/Senegal)