Tailored Functional Recipe (TFR) Approach to Delay the Progression of HIV to AIDS among People Living with HIV (PLWH) in Abuja, Nigeria

• 作者: Abraham Mainaji Amlogu Charles Wambebe Ihab Tewfik Kate Godden Sundus Tewfik
• 来源期刊: 药理与制药(英文)
• 学科: 医学
• 关键词: HIV AIDS CD4 Count Macro and MICRONUTRIENTS ART Nutritional FUNCTIONAL Meal Sustainability
• 年，卷（期）: 2014,（10）
• 页码范围: 926-936
• 页数: 11页
• 分类号: R73

摘要

Background: HIV/AIDS is a pandemic disease and its scourge has had a devastating impact on health, nutrition, food security and overall socioeconomic development in affected countries. Moreover, intervention programmes, which simply employ antiretroviral drugs, have been found to lack effectiveness particularly when the patient is under-nourished. Aim and Purpose: This presented pilot intervention provides evidence that suggests use of local resources as therapeutic nutrition. This can act as a fundamental part of the comprehensive package of care at the country level. Methodology: Local ingredients, which were known for their availability, accessibility, micro and macro-nutrient strengths were selected and optimised into a nutritional functional meal (Amtewa). Daily consumption was ascertained to assess its effects on nutritional status and biomedical indices of the study participants (n = 100) who were/were not taking Highly Active Anti-retroviral Therapy (HAART). Findings: Mean CD4 count for ART-Test group at baseline and sixth months increased by 40.8 cells/mm3 while the ART-Control group decreased 18.12 cells/mm3. This positive outcome qualified Amtewa meal to the next phase of intervention (400 participants) to ascertain its effectiveness on health status of HIV infected subjects and appraise its position within the National Health Services framework as innovative approach to attenuate the progression of HIV to AIDS in Nigeria. Conclusion: Amtewa-based approach in HIV management is innovative, culturally relevant, reliable and requiring low technology in order to assure compliance, sustainability and cost effectiveness. Although the achieved results take the form of specific technology, it suggests that a prolong consumption of the intervention meal (Amtewa) will be suitable to sustain the gained improvements in MUAC and CD4 cell counts thereby slowing the progression of the disease.