February 2003, Geneva/Rome
-- A good diet is one of the
simplest means of helping people live with HIV/AIDS and may even
help delay the progression of the deadly virus, two UN agencies
A new manual published jointly
by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the
relationship between infection and nutrition and offers simple
and practical dietary suggestions for the estimated 42 million
people living with HIV/AIDS.
the immune system and boosting energy levels, balanced nutrition
can help the body fight back against the ravages of the disease.
By maintaining body weight a good diet can support drug
treatments and prevent malnutrition.
"The relationship between HIV/AIDS and
malnutrition is a particularly extreme example of the vicious
cycle of immune dysfunction, infectious disease and
malnutrition," said Dr David Nabarro, WHO Executive
Director for Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments.
"The nutritional aspect of
HIV/AIDS has been ignored for a long time. The attention was
always focused on drugs," said Kraisid Tontisirin,
Director of FAO's Food and Nutrition Division.
"The message was always: 'Take two
tablets after meals'. But they forgot about the
meals," he said.
Almost 95 percent
of people with HIV/AIDS live in developing countries where
healthcare, resources and drugs are scarce. For them a balanced
diet is a positive way of responding to the illness.
"Food isn't a magic bullet. It
won't stop people dying of AIDS," William Clay of
FAO's Food and Nutrition Division said, "But it
can help them live longer, more comfortable and more productive
Dr Graeme Clugston,
Director of WHO's Department for Nutrition in health and
Development, confirmed the need to pay special attention to the
role of nutrition on HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS on nutrition:
"The effect of HIV on nutrition begins early in the
course of the disease, even before an individual may be aware
that he or she is infected with the virus."
The AIDS Equation
Widespread AIDS often occurs when a whole range of
social and economic circumstances - hunger, food insecurity,
desperate poverty and social breakdown - collide with the
presence of the human immunity suppressing virus (HIV) in the
Such circumstances may force
people, especially young men and women, into high-risk
activities like prostitution in order to feed themselves and
When HIV/AIDS strikes a
family member the effect ricochets through the lives of the
entire household. With the food-producer ill, the family risks
becoming malnourished and therefore more susceptible to
AIDS has a devastating effect on a
person's nutritional wellbeing:
- nutrient absorption is
- appetite and metabolism are
- muscles, organs and other tissues
- secondary infections and other
stresses increase demands for energy and
appetites and difficulties in eating, people living with
HIV/AIDS should eat considerably more food to fight the illness
and make up for weight loss.
As part of a
balanced diet someone affected by HIV/AIDS needs more protein to
rebuild muscle tissue, more energy-rich foods for weight gain,
immune system-boosting vitamins and minerals and water to combat
dehydration. Food to
The FAO/WHO manual offers
households caring for a family member with AIDS inexpensive,
locally available remedies for the symptoms linked to the
Herbs and spices can stimulate a
sluggish appetite or digestion and may have other beneficial
effects. Cinnamon can be brewed into a tea to calm chesty
coughs, for example, and mint leaves can be used as a gargle.
By encouraging good nutritional habits FAO
and WHO hope the manual will improve the diet, health and
resistance to infection of the entire family.
Designed to be usedby carers, health-workers,
community groupsand non-governmental organizations, the manual
It focuses on ways of
easing the symptoms of HIV/AIDS - lack of appetite, tiredness,
soreness of mouth - by suggesting recipes for soups, teas and
stews using fruit and vegetables - guava, papaya and baobab for
example - that grow in the rural areas of the developing world
hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic.
"We hope this guide will be a building block,
that it will be adapted by AIDS-affected communities and that it
will make people aware of the vital role played by nutrition for
someone living with HIV or AIDS," said Clay.
Spreading the word
To ensure that the benefits which can be derived from
proper nutrition reach people living with HIV/AIDS, FAO and WHO
are also developing training courses and educational materials
for health workers and care providers.
This week, the second field testing of this course
will take place in South Africa. It is hoped that the course
will be published as a complete package including overheads and
trainers' and participants' guide in September 2003.
"Nutrition counselling and support
is an essential component of care for the HIV-infected person
and it is particularly important in resource-constrained
settings where malnutrition and food insecurity are
endemic," said Randa Saadeh, the WHO Technical Officer
responsible for the training and educational programmes.
The relationship between HIV/AIDS and
malnutrition presents an extreme example of the vicious cycle of
immune dysfunction, infectious disease and malnutrition.
WHO is developing standards for nutritional
intake for people living with HIV/AIDS and expanding knowledge
on the subject by:
- organizing an
expert consultation to review and provide guidance on nutrient
and dietary requirements for people living with
- research to determine
the impact of improved nutrition on HIV prevention and rate of
progression from HIV to AIDS;
- research to
determine how improved nutrition can affect the frequency and
severity of opportunistic
- developing and promoting food
technologies which can benefit HIV-affected
that, with this new information, we can assist governments and
organizations in drafting guidelines on nutritional care and
support for PLWHA and in developing food/nutrition interventions
for HIV-affected populations," added Saadeh.
The Manual on Nutritional Care and Support for People
Living with HIV/AIDS entitled Living Well with
is available from FAO.
Information Officer, FAO
(+39) 06 57056350
Communications Adviser for Sustainable Development and
Healthy Environments, WHO
(+41) 22 791 4458