Background
This joint NHD/HIV/AIDS regional consultation is being proposed as a direct response to resolution EB117.R2 (WHA59.11) whereby the Member States requested the Director-General to strengthen technical guidance to Member States for incorporating HIV/AIDS issues in national nutrition policies and programmes; and to support the development and dissemination of science-based recommendations guidelines and tools on nutritional care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.
In addition, we are using the good example and successful experience of the Durban consultation in 2005 on nutrition and HIV/AIDS which had most of the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries mobilized to include nutrition within their HIV/AIDS policies and response.
Justification
Of the approximately 39.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide in 2006, an estimated 4 million people were in the South-East Asia Region. High malnutrition rates are persisting in the South-East Asia Region where food is often identified as most immediately and critically needed by people living with HIV/AIDS and others affected by the pandemic. Scaling-up care and antiretroviral therapy cannot be addressed without planning for appropriate nutrition.
Governments are currently grappling with a range of programme and policy challenges related to food, nutrition and HIV/AIDS. Building on global experiences and knowledge, this consultation will recognize the status and extent of the problem in South-East Asia Region and will propose, both, technical and operational plans to address it.
Objectives
To Integrate nutrition as a fundamental part of the overall response to HIV/AIDS in SEAR.
- Review lessons learnt from the global and regional experiences of integrating nutrition as the fundamental part of response to HIV/AIDS.
- Identify gaps, challenges and opportunities to formulate evidence-based programmes for integrating nutrition as a fundamental part of the response to HIV/AIDS.
- Formulate and recommend action plans for national and regional levels ensuring nutrition as
a fundamental component of the comprehensive package of HIV/AIDS care, support and
treatment programmes, including a research agenda with a regional perspective, for support of
evidence-based programming.