WISHH : HIV/AIDS

Overview

"HIV/AIDS-infected people may need 50-100 percent more protein than uninfected people. Soy may be ideally suited to help meet their requirements for protein, calories and more."

— Cade Fields-Gardner, MS, RD, LD, CD,
HIV-specialist dietitian and WISHH consultant.

The Impact of HIV/AIDS: The AIDS Epidemic claimed more than 3 million lives in 2002. A total of 42 million people worldwide now live with the virus, states a December 2002 report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and World Health Organization.

Because of such concerns, President Bush announced a new Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in his State of the Union address presented in January. Congress is now considering his request for $15 billion to the fight AIDS abroad over the next five years. This new initiative focuses on 14 African and Caribbean countries and is in addition to the Global AIDS Fund where the United States and many other countries support programs in 50 countries.

Soy's Nutritional Value for those with HIV/AIDS: HIV/AIDS and malnutrition often operate in tandem, says the United Nations Administrative Committee on Coordination Sub-Committee on Nutrition. Poor nutrition increases the risk and progression of disease. In turn, disease exacerbates malnutrition.

According to the Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance (FANTA) monograph on nutritional guidelines in the care of HIV-infected persons, calorie needs may increase 10-15% while protein requirements jump to 50-100% higher than for uninfected persons.

In many cases, nutrition intervention may be the primary treatment. Most HIV-infected people do not have access to health care and anti-HIV medications. The importance of nutrition intervention is amplified where medications are unavailable. The vast majority of recommended calorie-containing nutritional supplement products contain soy ingredients for optimum nutrition:

Soy delivers high quality nutrition in small volumes, which is especially important because inadequate food is common.
Soy protein and calories can help to prevent body wasting often associated with HIV/AIDS.
Soy plays a role in nutritional maintenance, an essential feature of optimal effectiveness of medicine while helping to minimize nutrition-related side effects.
Proper nutrition keeps the body fortified to support the best possible immune function, prevent nutrition-related immune deficits, and help to ward off opportunistic infections.

On February 7, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) announced they were formally joining forces to cope with the growing links between HIV/AIDS, regional food shortages and chronic hunger. “Food aid plays a pivotal role in responding to HIV/AIDS. The first thing poor families affected by AIDS ask for is not cash or drugs, it is food. And food has to be one of the weapons in the arsenal against this disease,” said James T. Morris, WFP’s Executive Director.

WISHH HIV/AIDS Activities: The WISHH program seeks to help make soy nutritional benefits available to HIV/AIDS infected and affected populations. WISHH activities for people living with AIDS (men, women, and children), and other family members are:

Collaborate with leading HIV/AIDS nutritionists to better understand and develop soy benefits for HIV/AIDS-targeted programs and communicate these results domestically and internationally.
Support of private voluntary organizations (PVOs), such as Humana People to People, that created soy restaurants as part of its Total Control of the Epidemic program.
Seek to leverage existing U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Agency for International Development Food Aid Programs with HIV/AIDS components.
Develop demonstration feeding programs to provide scientific research and "best practices" for soy in target countries.
Work with non-governmental agencies (NGOs) to develop testing and feeding programs with value-added soy products.
Collaborate with the U.S. National Institutes of Health to develop scientific tests in Africa and India to specifically measure quantitative (growth, motor skills, cognitive skills) and qualitative (quality of life, symptom reduction) results of various nutrition programs for HIV/AIDS-affected populations.

Download WISHH for HIV/AIDS FactSheet