Office of Overseas Programming & Training Support (OPATS) Integration of CST with Other Sectors HIV Care, Support, and Treatment

Nutrition and HIV Care, Support and Treatment  Malnutrition and HIV: a vicious cycle – HIV and AIDS changes the body’s metabolism – PLHIVs often consume less food – HIV and AIDS impairs absorption of nutrients  Together, these impacts rapidly accelerate weight loss, malnutrition, and wasting and hasten progression to AIDS

Nutrition and HIV Care, Support and Treatment  Good nutrition helps: – Prevent malnutrition and wasting – Enhance ability to fight Opportunistic Infections – Achieve and maintain body weight – Improve effectiveness of medications – Improve the quality of life of PLHIV

WASH and HIV Care, Support and Treatment  WASH is crucial to quality of life of PLHIV – Frequency of Opportunistic Infections is closely tied to quality of water, sanitation, and hygiene – percent of diarrheal illness in developing countries is attributed to unsafe water and inadequate sanitation and hygiene practices – Repeated Opportunistic Infections have negative effects on PLHIV’s quality of life and hasten progression of HIV to AIDS.

WASH and HIV Care, Support and Treatment  Safe hygiene practices (such as handwashing with soap or ash at critical times, proper disposal of feces, and safe drinking water) reduce the prevalence of diarrheal disease  Better access to water and sanitation services can save labor and reduce the burden of caregiving

Malaria Prevention and Control and HIV Care, Support, and Treatment  Co-infection of malaria and HIV is common in many areas of the world and there is now evidence of interactions between malaria and HIV infection – Adults and children with HIV become sicker due to malaria and may experience malaria treatment failure – Pregnant women with HIV who also get malaria are at increased risk

Malaria Prevention and Control and HIV Care, Support, and Treatment  Integration of services for malaria and HIV  Prevention and control of malaria – Long-lasting insecticide-treated nets – Indoor residual spraying – Daily Cotrimoxazole – Prevention of malaria in pregnant women – Presumptive treatment of fever as malaria

Income Generation Activities and HIV Care, Support, and Treatment  Progression of HIV and AIDS erodes family assets – Incomes decline (PLHIV may be principle income- earner, caregivers experience loss of work and income) – Associated medical costs rise  Leads to depletion of savings as families borrow money and get into debt; loss of assets  Increases risk of HIV (transactional sex)

Income Generation Activities and HIV Care, Support, and Treatment  Activities to increase income and protect assets may include – Social assistance (e.g., food aid) – Asset growth and protection (e.g., microfinance) – Income growth (e.g., income-generating activities)