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Foreword and Acknowledgements

This Nutrition Policy Paper is based on the ACC/SCN Symposium on Nutrition and HIV/AIDS held in Nairobi in April 2001. The objective of the symposium was, firstly, to stimulate collaboration between the nutrition and HIV/AIDS communities. The second objective was to examine a broad range of nutrition issues that have a direct bearing on policies and programmes aimed at stemming the spread of HIV and mitigating the worst effects of AIDS. This report provides technical information, policy guidance and informal reflections. It also contains the ACC/SCN statement arising from the symposium, and in Annex 1, a fact sheet on the interactions between nutrition and HIV/AIDS. I am most pleased that this report is co-published with UNAIDS, thus helping to ensure the widest possible dissemination to professionals working in both nutrition and HIV/AIDS.

The Symposium was opened by the Minister for Public Health for Kenya, Dr. Sam Ongeri, who described some of the challenges that public health officials in Kenya are facing because of the HIV/AIDS burden. The list of challenges is daunting, however, there is much that could be done in the nutrition area to bring improved quality of life for those living with HIV/AIDS, Dr. Ongeri concluded. Dr. Peter Piot, in his keynote address, noted that while he had worked in the HIV/AIDS field for some 20 years, this was the first time he had spoken to a nutrition audience. His message was clear: the voice of nutrition needs to be heard loudly and clearly in the HIV/AIDS community, where innovative partnerships can serve to move the agenda forward.

Invited papers touched upon development impacts at both micro and macro levels, principles of food security and nutrition programming and grassroots community-driven efforts to provide care services. A special presentation by Minister of Health and Social Welfare from Swaziland, Dr. Phetsile Dlamini, offered personal insights into the role that nutrition can play as a central ingredient in the care package. The panel in the afternoon and the audience discussion following it, highlighted a number of important points concerning gaps and opportunities in the delivery of nutrition programmes. Finally, Lucy Thairu’s Dr. Abraham Horwitz Memorial Lecture described field research on mother’s infant feeding choices and implications for policy makers.

The symposium drew a large audience from eastern and southern Africa, hence discussion throughout the day tended to focus on issues of relevance to this region. However, I trust this Nutrition Policy Paper will be useful as well to the ACC/SCN’s wide readership of nutrition professionals in all regions, by introducing important new perspectives on effective community-based responses.

This report was edited by Sonya Rabeneck. Sincere thanks are extended to Josef Decosas, Ted Greiner, Richard Jolly, Ellen Piwoz and Marti van Liere for extensive critical comment on the draft report. Contributions from Elizabeth Johnston, Hooman Peimani and Lindsay Barrett-Gillespie towards the technical content, copy editing and artwork are gratefully acknowledged. We are most grateful to the World Food Programme; the Office of AIDS Research, National Institutes of Health; USAID and the ILSI Research Foundation; and the Government of the Netherlands for providing funding support.

Namanga Ngongi
Chair, ACC/SCN