New plan for nutritional support to HIV positive kids

March 22, 2007

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

" Likely to take care of 60 % of the calorie, protein and

micronutrient needs per day "

NEW DELHI: The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has cleared

an ambitious new programme to provide nutritional supplement to

children enrolled under their Anti-Retroviral Programme (ART) started

last November. This major initiative is aimed at covering the

nutritional needs of over 3,000 children currently under the ART

regime.

According to NACO Director-General Sujata Rao, the programme would be

rolled out next month and children would get fortified powdered food

supplements free of cost along with the ART medical support. " The

supplement is expected to take care of 60 per cent of the child's

calorie, protein and micronutrient needs per day. The supplement will

be available to children across the country and we have already

conducted a field trial to understand the logistics required to carry

on this large exercise, " she added.

The programme has been undertaken in collaboration with technical

support from several international agencies including Clinton

Foundation and World Food Programme.

" Children who are HIV positive are comparatively more prone to

infections and their nutritional needs thus are greater than children

of their age. According to experts, an HIV-infected child with no

symptoms needs 10 per cent additional nutritional input per day and

the requirement increases with the presence of an infection. This

powder supplement can be mixed with a drink or added to the wheat

dough for use. It is made easy to use and tastes good. Parents can be

sure that their children are getting their daily nutritional need and

doctors will have the satisfaction of knowing that the children on

the ART programme are under a monitored nutritional routine, " said

Dr. Jagdish Chandra, Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital's Nodal

Officer Paediatric ART Centre.

Consultant HIV/AIDS the United Nations Children's Fund Dr. Tripti

Pensi said: " The provision for national supplement is required to

make effective the medical aid being provided to children. We are

satisfied with the results of the pilot study . "

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