Nutrition and HIV in the international setting.

Abstract

HIV infection has become increasingly prevalent globally, with more than 40 million infected individuals worldwide, the majority of whom live in the resource-limited world, especially sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. There are nutritional and metabolic issues that significantly impact morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected populations. In addition, malnutrition has been associated with an increased risk of transmission of HIV from infected mothers to infants, and malnutrition may further compromise HIV-infected individuals who have tuberculosis or persistent diarrheal disease. The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy will have a significant impact on the mortality of HIV, but will not completely alleviate the malnutrition associated with HIV infection in the global setting.