Food and nutrition implications of antiretroviral therapy in resource limited settings.

Abstract

Interactions between antiretroviral therapy (ART) and food and nutrition can affect medication efficacy nutritional status and adherence to drug regimens. Drug-food interactions consist of the effects of food on medication efficacy the effects of medication on nutrient utilization the effects of medication side effects on food consumption and unhealthy side effects caused by medication and certain foods. As ART interventions scale up in resource limited settings addressing food and nutrition implications becomes a critical component of care and support programs and services. Service providers can help address these implications by working with people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and caregivers to identify the specific food and nutrition requirements of the medications being taken and to develop feasible food and drug plans to meet these requirements. Programs working with people taking ART may need to strengthen human capacity to address nutritional issues establish linkages to food and nutrition programs and incorporate information about drug-food interactions into communication materials staff training and orientation and supervision systems. This technical note provides information and guidance about the food and nutrition implications of ART and how to manage the effects of these implications in resource limited settings. The purpose of the document is to assist program planners groups developing guidance on care and support service providers and networks of people living with HIV/AIDS to understand and address ART interactions with food and nutrition. The information presented here can also help managers of programs that include ART components to incorporate food and nutrition counseling and other interventions as needed. While this document is not designed for direct use by community-level health workers it can be used to support the development of communication materials such as counseling aids as well as training materials. (excerpt)