Abstract

Worldwide, more than 3.4 million children under the age of 5 are infected with HIV. Both acute and chronic
malnutrition are major problems for HIV-positive children living in resource-limited settings. In Uganda, the data
from ART clinics revealed that up to 23% of mothers and 50% of children who were on treatment have moderate
acute malnutrition. To understand undernutrition in HIV-positive children aged 1–5 years in Bushenyi District,
western Uganda, a study was conducted in Bushenyi Health Centre IV to determine the common forms of
undernutrition, mother awareness of undernutrition, and the management protocol conferred on HIV-positive
children. There were 61 participants, of whom 54% were female and 46% were male; 41% were between the ages of
1-2 years; 31% were 5 years; and 28% were 3–4 years. The study indicated that 82% of the guardians had good
knowledge about undernutrition, with 18% having little knowledge of the problem in HIV-positive children. In this
study, using the z-score in data analysis, there were 3 children who were less than -2 SD (-2 standard deviation),
and the overall prevalence of undernutrition was 5%. The guardians were asked whether they had heard about
Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in the hospital management of undernutrition in HIV-positive children,
and 79% of the respondents confirmed that they had heard about it and that they preferred their undernourished
children to be managed with that form from the health units. However, 21% preferred managing their children from
home without getting to the health unit. The prevalence of undernutrition in HIV-affected children aged 1–5 years
is high, and the majority of the children are underweight with moderate acute malnutrition. Some HIV-positive
caretakers still have inadequate knowledge about undernutrition in their children. Some people lack knowledge
about the management of undernutrition in HIV-positive children.
Keywords: HIV, ART, Malnutrition, Undernutrition