Integration of HIV/AIDS activities with food and nutrition support in ...

CHAPTER 2:
Creating a policy environment that supports
integrated programme strategies
2.1 National policies and guidelines on HIV/AIDS and nutrition
As a general principle, the policies of the host country regarding HIV/AIDS should be followed
when developing HIV/AIDS programmes for refugees, as the countries of asylum bear
the ultimate responsibility for the protection and health of refugees they host. 12 However, as of
December 2003, of the 29 countries in Africa that hosted more than 10 000 refugees, only 10
(34%) had national HIV/AIDS strategic plans that specifically mentioned activities for refugees.8
Where national policies do not specifically mention refugees, and where refugees are
systematically excluded from national interventions, internationally accepted guidelines should
form the basis of programme design and implementation.
Increasingly, countries are developing national HIV/AIDS control policies with an explicit nutritional
care and support component. Nutritional programmes in refugee communities still
tend to be based on international emergency nutrition guidelines, particularly where the population
receives food, nutrition and health services from external agencies rather than the host
country government. With the recognition of the close association between nutritional status
and HIV/AIDS progression, the development of national policies and guidelines on nutritional
care and support for PLWHA is becoming an international priority.
2.2 United Nations policies and guidelines on HIV/AIDS and nutrition
Since the first UN strategy document on HIV/AIDS was published in 1986, the UN has continued
to update and refine its recommendations on how to deal with the disease. The World
Health Organization (WHO) has developed an extensive literature base on HIV/AIDS care,
counselling, testing and treatment, as well as several key publications on nutrition programmes
for emergency settings. UNHCR and WFP have developed a range of operational guidelines
related to HIV/AIDS, food and nutrition in refugee settings. Since its establishment, the Joint
United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has served as a focal point for research
and programming related to HIV/AIDS. A number of UN policy and programme guidelines
are available, of which the following are worthy of special mention:
• Food and nutrition handbook 13
• Food and nutrition needs in emergencies 14
• Guidelines for HIV/AIDS interventions in emergency settings 11
• HIV/AIDS: a guide for nutrition, care and support 15
• HIV/AIDS and refugees: UNHCR’s Strategic Plan 2002-2004 6
12 Regional Centre for Quality of Health Care, Kampala, Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance (FANTA) Project.
Handbook: developing and applying national guidelines on nutrition and HIV/AIDS. Kampala: Regional Centre for
Quality of Health Care, 2003.
13 WFP. Food and nutrition handbook. Rome: WFP, 2000.
14 UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, WHO. Food and nutrition needs in emergencies. Geneva: UNHCR, 2003.
15 Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance Project, Academy for Educational Development. HIV/AIDS: a guide for
nutrition, care and support. Washington, DC: Academy for Educational Development, 2001.
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