LETTER | Our country currently has an estimated 87,000 people living with HIV (PLHIV). According to the World Health Organization 2019 progress report on HIV, our national surveillance system notified nearly 78,000 PLHIV, of which 0.4 percent were adolescents below 15 years old.
In people living with HIV, good nutrition promotes overall health and aids in immune system maintenance. This is a precursor to maintaining a healthy weight and absorbing HIV medications.
In Malaysia, less attention is given to the importance of nutrition among people living with HIV as the Covid-19 pandemic has directly resulted in a severe economic crisis resulting in surging food prices, the increase of vulnerability among the lower socioeconomic group (B40), and nutrition insecurity.
Nutritional assistance is not fully considered by the Malaysian government, despite the fact that it has implemented robust social protection schemes.
The immune system damaging disease causes harm to one's nutritional state, and poor nutrition takes its toll on the immune system, making one more vulnerable to secondary infections.
Limited awareness combined with food insecurity, especially given the relatively high costs of fresh, nutritious food, may be contributing to poor nutritional outcomes among people with HIV.
This in turn leads to poor eating habits and reduced nutritional intake particularly within the B40 community, where the diet may be lacking in essential vitamins and minerals.
Some micronutrients play critical roles in immune system maintenance, so routine supplementation may be beneficial.
Based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Guide on Nutrition and Care Support, Consuming micronutrients (especially Vitamins A, B6 and B12, iron and zinc) is important for building a strong immune system and fighting infections.
Adverse nutritional outcomes, such as growth and metabolism abnormalities, are common in HIV-positive children and can contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality.
Based on the technical report by WHO on HIV/AIDS, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is affecting people that are already undernourished. More political, financial, and technical support should be provided as soon as possible to improve nutritional quality and increase dietary consumption to recommended levels.
The take-home message is that all national AIDS control and treatment programs should include targeted, evidence-based nutrition interventions.
The Malaysian Government continues to support the decentralized approach to health service provision, which includes community-based and primary health services linked to hospital-based care.
It provides treatment (ART), voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), psychosocial support, nutritional support and treatment for opportunistic infections, however lacking in nutritional intervention.
Continuity of nutrition services for children or adolescents living with HIV is crucial as adequate nutritional consumption improves the therapeutic action of medicines, strengthens the immune system (helping to fight disease and maintain body weight), delays the progression of HIV infection to AIDS, extends life expectancy, and promotes healthy living.
Last but not least, the parents, guardians or caretakers of adolescence with HIV should be proactive in supporting the adolescence by taking part in nutritional counselling in addition to providing a balanced diet for them.
References:
5. Organization WH. Nutrient requirements for people living with HIV. 2004.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
