From Siddhi Jain
New Delhi, April 2nd (IANSlife): Malnutrition and HIV / AID are known to be complementary. Malnutrition affects the immune system and reduces the body’s ability to fight HIV infection. A specially formulated diet could go a long way towards improving the quality of life and survival of HIV-infected patients, according to an association of food manufacturers.
As the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) noted in its nutritional guidelines, nutritional care must be integrated into the care of all people and children living with HIV, especially the most vulnerable groups, which include infants and young children under the age of 5, as well as pregnant women and men breastfeeding women.
Therapeutic food manufacturers have proposed ready-to-use supplementary foods (RUSF) to enable those infected with HIV to manage infections and their negative effects.
In a communication to NACO, the CMAM Association of India has offered to work closely with the AIDS Control Agency to bring therapeutic products to market that could delay the progression from HIV to AIDS and help HIV-infected people better fight the disease .
The CMAM Association of India is an association of manufacturers of nutritional supplements, including Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) and Ready-to-Use Nutritional Supplements (RUSF), supporting India’s fight against malnutrition by manufacturing in India.
“We see a clear role for us in supporting the Government of India’s AIDS program. Various studies suggest that low energy intake in response to increased energy demands from HIV and related infections is the main driver of weight loss associated with HIV and adult waste, “said Akshat Khandelwal, president of the CMAM Association.
Micronutrient and macronutrient supplementation is an essential part of HIV-related treatment. Weight gain, body mass, and grip strength are important in the management of HIV patients. The use of RUSF, an energy dense dietary supplement, has resulted in a reduction in the death rate among HIV patients, as clinical studies in African countries have shown, he adds.
“Members of the association can customize the RUSF product to meet the needs of different groups of people, including infants, adolescents, pregnant and breastfeeding women with AIDS. The main advantage of RUSF is that it is easy to transport and administer to patients in a facilityless environment as they come in a pouch form that can be consumed out-of-the-box. They can also be stored for up to two years without refrigeration, “added Khandelwal.
