Good nutrition is vital for the health and survival of all people, but it is particularly important for people with HIV and AIDS.
An estimated 33 million people live with HIV worldwide; there were 2.7 million new infections in 2007. The need for effective HIV prevention is increasingly obvious: for every two people who start anti-retroviral therapy (ART), five become infected.
Most of WFP’s initial momentum in the field of food, nutrition and HIV/AIDS was built during the southern Africa crisis which started in 2001. Faced with the unique challenges evident in a region ravaged by high HIV prevalence, WFP was forced to rethink its usual way of doing business.
This was because people benefiting from WFP food assistance were not only suffering food insecurity but also the combined effects of HIV and AIDS. It was clear that the combination of food insecurity and HIV was resulting in further poverty, malnutrition and discrimination.
Nutrition - a critical part of care
Nutrition and food security are critical components of care and support for many people living with HIV particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. WFP was one of the first agencies to provide food to expand access to ART in resource-poor settings.
To date WFP implements HIV/AIDS programmes in over 50 countries addressing treatment, care and support, and impact mitigation. Furthermore, ongoing food assistance programmes are increasingly adapted to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS on food and livelihood security.
WFP works in partnership with governments, other United Nations agencies, non-governmental organisations and communities to secure the nutrition and food security of those who lack adequate food, regardless of their HIV status.
In October 2003, WFP became the ninth co-sponsor of UNAIDS, joining other UN agencies and organisations in a common campaign to help to prevent new HIV/AIDS infections, care for those already infected and mitigate the impact of the epidemic.
