In Southern Africa, Nutriset recently met with doctors and health professionals in order to discuss the nutritional problems of people affected by HIV and the care systems existing within the framework of national policies.
In the region, Lesotho and Botswana have some of the highest prevalence rates in the world. South Africa has more than 7.7 million people living with HIV, and a prevalence rate of 20%.(1)
HIV infection is known to weaken the immune system, increase susceptibility to infection, and can be associated with malabsorption, diarrhea, and impaired metabolism. These factors make it necessary to pay particular attention to nutrition.
This is why our teams recently met with the Nutriset Distribution Network partners present in the region to present Plumpy’UP™. On this occasion, distributors (Blue Shades in Botswana, SupraHealthcare in Lesotho, Nutrifeed in South Africa) organized meetings with local authorities and organizations involved in HIV testing and treatment.
Discussions with stakeholders from different countries in the region aroused great interest in the nutritional solutions developed by Nutriset. The participants were particularly sensitive to the rigorous approach of Nutriset, which based the development of its Plumpy'Up™ product on the results of a clinical trial having demonstrated its effectiveness in improving the nutritional status and quality of life of supplemented patients when starting their antiretroviral therapy.
All recognize that adequate nutrition is essential for effective treatment against HIV, but many express the need to be able to simplify the implementation of nutritional interventions for the most vulnerable patients, in an integrated way in health pathways. For many of the professionals interviewed, the use of Plumpy’UP™ represents a plus in the management of HIV-positive adults on ARV treatment.
Download the Plumpy'UP™ leaflet
(1) Source UNAIDS - https://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/southafrica
