How you can live well with HIV

Living with HIV does not necessarily mean one cannot live WELL at the same time. In fact, wellness is even more important for someone living with HIV. Good nutrition can assist in this process tremendously. You may well ask the question how I can be well when I am HIV positive. Simply put, food, nutrition and other basics are critical, if someone living with HIV is to live well.{{more}}

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has put together some basics in a special manual on how to live well with HIV. In this article, we’ll share with you some of these ideas for living well with HIV/AIDS.

The Benefits of good nutrition for people and families living with HIV/AIDS

The HIV virus attacks the immune system. In the early stages of infection a person shows no visible signs of illness but later many of the signs of AIDS will become apparent, including weight loss, fever, diarrhoea and opportunistic infections (such as sore throat and tuberculosis).

Good nutritional status is very important from the time a person is infected with HIV. Nutrition education at this early stage gives the person a chance to build up healthy eating habits and to take action to improve food security in the home, particularly as regards the cultivation, storage and cooking of food.

Good nutrition is also vital to help maintain the health and quality of life of the person suffering from AIDS. Infection with HIV damages the immune system, which leads to other infections such as fever and diarrhoea. These infections can lower food intake because they both reduce appetite and interfere with the body’s ability to absorb food. As a result, the person becomes malnourished, loses weight and is weakened.

One of the possible signs of the onset of clinical AIDS is a weight loss of about 6-7 kg for an average adult. When a person is already underweight, a further weight loss can have serious effects. A healthy and balanced diet, early treatment of infection and proper nutritional recovery after infection can reduce this weight loss and reduce the impact of future infection.

A person may be receiving treatment for the opportunistic infections and also perhaps combination therapy for HIV; these treatments and medicines may influence eating and nutrition. Good nutrition will reinforce the effect of the drugs taken.

When nutritional needs are not met, recovery from an illness will take longer. During this period the family will have the burden of caring for the sick person, paying for health care and absorbing the loss of earnings while the ill person is unable to work. In addition, good nutrition can help to extend the period when the person with HIV/AIDS is well and working.

HEALTHY AND BALANCED NUTRITION IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS

Nutritional care and support promote well-being, self-esteem and a positive attitude to life for people and their families living with HIV/AIDS.

An effective programme of nutritional care and support will improve the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS, by:

• maintaining body weight and strength;
•  replacing lost vitamins and minerals;
•  improving the function of the immune system and the body’s ability to fight infection;
•  extending the period from infection to the development of the AIDS disease;
•  improving response to treatment; reducing time and money spent on health care;
•  keeping HIV-infected people active, allowing them to take care of themselves, their family and children; and
• keeping HIV-infected people productive, able to work, grow food and contribute to the income of their families.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO ACCESS THIS MANUAL VISIT: