Integration of nutrition in the antiretroviral therapy scale up plan for Malawi

Africa is home to about 25 million people living with HIV. Malawi is one of the countries worst hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic with an infection rate among the childbearing age group of 16.4%. Youth aged 15-24 claim 46% of new HIV infections of which 60% occur among girls. HIV in Malawi is mainly spread through heterosexual sex and prevalence among antenatal women ranges from 16% to 30 %. It is estimated that 26% of the people in urban areas and 11% in the rural areas live with HIV although the prevalence is even higher in some rural districts. This suggests that there is a gender, demographic and geographical differential in the HIV/AIDS prevalence within the country. Both infant and under five mortality rates have increased and opportunistic infections like tuberculosis and meningitis are also on the increase in Malawi due to HIV/AIDS.