Nutrition and HIV in the international setting

HIV infection has become increasingly prevalent globally, with more than 40 million infected individuals worldwide, the majority of whom live in the resource-limited world, especially sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. There are nutritional and metabolic issues that significantly impact morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected populations. In addition, malnutrition has been associated with an increased risk of transmission of HIV from infected mothers to infants, and malnutrition may further compromise HIV-infected individuals who have tuberculosis or persistent diarrheal disease. The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy will have a significant impact on the mortality of HIV, but will not completely alleviate the malnutrition associated with HIV infection in the global setting.