Many of the 28 million people with immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) estimated to be living in sub-Saharan Africa also suffer from malnutrition. Reproductive age women, their infants and young children are among the most vulnerable for malnutrition and progression of HIV to AIDS and mortality is increased in the malnourished, as seen in Eastern and Southern Africa. The HIV Nutrition Project (HNP) research evaluates the effect of protein and micronutrients in meat on the health and nutritional well being of Kenyan women living with HIV in rural Kenya and the health and development of their children, by means of a randomized nutrition intervention. We will determine if meat in the diets of HIV- infected women and their children (1) protects the immune system and prevents severe infection, (2) prevents the loss of body mass and enhances the quality of life among drug naïve women not yet ill enough to warrant antiretroviral drugs and (3) positively impacts growth and development of vulnerable children of the HIV-infected women when compared to those given supplements with the same amount of energy but with either soya or wheat protein. The intervention food with beef protein provides significant vitamin B12, lysine and bio-available iron, zinc and selenium when compared to the soya and wheat supplements. Deficiencies of these nutrients may hasten HIV disease progression.

The findings from our project may have implications for the development of initiatives that are either sustainable or subsidized by the local, regional and/or global economies that ensure that all HIV-infected individuals have access to adequate nutrition support that includes foods that provide enough nutrients that are needed to optimize health and well-being. The knowledge gained may significantly impact other populations at high risk for decreased immune function such as those with tuberculosis and malaria.

This is a 3 arm randomized design where 225 HIV-infected rural Kenyan mothers with a CD4 between 250 and 500, WHO Stage 1 or 2, and with no co-existing infections, receive with their child, a nutrition biscuit supplement daily (5 days/week) for 12 months. These women are not yet ill enough to warrant treatment with antiretroviral drugs in Kenya and therefore a food intervention may keep them healthy longer and delay the need for drugs.