Other health advice to give to adults who are HIV positive:- Seek prompt treatment for all opportunistic infections and conditions that might undermine
nutrition, including fever oral thrush, sores/ulcers in the mouth, nausea, vomiting and loss of
appetite. - Practice food and water safety and personal hygiene, e.g. wash hands before handling food,
thoroughly cook animal products, boil drinking water, wash fresh fruits and vegetables in clean
water and store food appropriately. - Get dewormed twice a year.
- Practice safer sex (Abstain, Be Faithful, use Condoms) in order to avoid re-infection.
- Suggest nutritional interventions that will increase nutrient intake such as: having more frequent
meals, using mashed food, and increasing the intake of liquids. - Refer adults to services that offer ARVs to be assessed whether they meet the criteria to start on
them. - Encourage adults with HIV/AIDS to have a position attitude towards the illness and life: it can make
a difference to their health.
Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers with HIV/AIDS should monitor their
nutritional status- Every pregnant mother should have an antenatal card to record weight changes during pregnancy.
- Mothers infected with HIV should have periodic nutritional status monitoring (e.g. weight and
height). They need to know whether they are gaining adequate weight (as a pregnancy) or are
losing weight at a rate detrimental to their health. - If a pregnant mother has a weight gain that falls below the recommended range, it may indicate a
possible medical problem (e.g. an opportunistic infection) or inappropriate energy intake, and/or
food insecurity. Women gaining less than one kilogram per month in the second and third
trimester should be referred to a health unit immediately where they can receive more care. - IDiscuss with the pregnant mother to identify the probable causes of insufficient gestational weight
gain and work with her to figure out the best course of action to promote weight gain. - IA breastfeeding mother who is HIV positive should not lose weight.
- IHaemoglobin levels should be checked. Pale inner eyelids and palms may be signs of anaemia
should be referred for immediate treatment. The best treatments are food-based approaches and
iron supplements. - Encourage pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to consume foods rich in micronutrients and go to
ANC services for guidance on micronutrient supplementation. - Ensure that breastfeeding mothers get vitamin A supplementation at delivery or at least within the
first eight weeks of delivery. - Encourage pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to get prompt treatment for malaria, including
presumptive treatment and prevention by using treated mosquito nets. - Encourage them to go for hookworm infestation checks and regular deworming.
(^354) Appendix 2, Further Infomation Guide to Mobilising and Strengthening Community-Led Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children