Was food & nutrition considered an important issue in the ongoing debate on HIV/AIDS in Mozambique? - A qualitative study among people working in the field of nutrition with regard to HIV/AIDS.

Abstract

Objective The main objective of the study was to investigate whether the concept of food & nutrition was considered to be important in the discussion on HIV/AIDS in Mozambique. The examination groups were employers/volunteers working particularly in food, nutrition & HIV/AIDS. Design The study is largely based on interviews with key personnel working in the field of food & nutrition and HIV/AIDS programs in Mozambique. Furthermore, the process of snowball sampling was used, where contacts in Mozambique assisted in identifying relevant organizations. A qualitative approach was conducted by using informal and open interviews. The research is built on five recorded interviews and three unrecorded ones. Results The majority of those interviewed pointed out that food & nutrition was an important part of the process in fighting HIV/AIDS. Despite awareness of the matter, the focus is still too strong on prevention of HIV/AIDS. A poor internal infrastructure in Mozambique and the lack of a welfare system is a barrier to addressing this problem. Conclusion There is an increasing awareness about the importance of food & nutrition in relation to HIV/AIDS affected people, however the awareness is shared with a relatively small group of professionals. The awareness has not reached the stage of implementation nor has it included the understanding of the general public. Several NGOs, both foreign and local are working on the issue, however each in their own local way. Therefore there is a need for coordination among the NGOs at higher levels in order to attain the level of implementation.