HIV/AIDS and food and nutrition security: from evidence to action

This book, published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), describes the interactions between HIV, AIDS, and food and nutrition security and outlines the implications for food and nutrition-relevant policy. The book demonstrates the need to take a comprehensive and holistic approach to investigating how HIV and AIDS are affecting people, communities and governments, in order to better understand the risks, impacts and responses. It reviews the evidence behind factors and processes that contribute to the spread of HIV and the impact of AIDS. It then examines recent attempts by different stakeholders to respond to these interactions, and addresses the challenges of scaling up, mainstreaming and capacity development.

The authors conclude that prevention, care, treatment and mitigation should remain the building blocks of a comprehensive approach to combatting HIV and AIDS. However, these approaches should not be compartmentalised but should represent a continuum or web of mutually reinforcing responses. This involves addressing food and nutrition security as fundamentally important to HIV prevention, care and treatment. The authors suggest that the use of IFPRI’s ‘HIV/AIDS lens’ approach would support this. Finally, they argue that new tools and processes, rather than programmes, are needed to turn growing knowledge into appropriate action. [adapted from authors]