Nutrition important in fight against HIV

Nutrition is closely linked to the progression of HIV into AIDS, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated.

Speaking in Bangkok, a WHO representative told listeners that well-balanced meals can contribute to a person's fight against HIV by providing for the high energy needs of sufferers.

And health workers and experts were reminded of the benefits of tackling the challenge of malnutrition at the same time as that of HIV/AIDS.

"HIV affects nutritional status, and poor nutrition in turn leads to faster progression of HIV to AIDS," said Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO's regional director for South-East Asia. "Scaling-up care and antiretroviral therapy cannot be addressed without appropriate support for nutrition."

He also warned of the particularly high energy needs of HIV-positive children, stating children with HIV who are losing weight require 50 to 100 per cent more energy to maintain their ideal body weight.

At the end of 2006, the WHO estimated that 4 million people were living with HIV in South-East Asia alone, while the region also suffers from high rates of malnutrition.

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