Greenaway, Kate. Food by Prescription: A Landscape Paper. Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). Geneva, Switzerland, 2009
Although HIV testing is increasingly available and efforts to support the nutritional needs of people
living with HIV have intensified appreciably, antiretroviral therapy (ART) service providers continue
to report large numbers of clients presenting with advanced disease and acute malnutrition. In
some ART programs, as many as 33 percent of all first-visit clients are unable to walk into the clinic
without assistance, correlating with high rates of mortality in the first 90 days of treatment. In
response, there has been a rapid proliferation of Food by Prescription (FBP) programs, designed to
ensure efficient and effective nutrition care and rehabilitation for people enrolled in HIV care and
treatment programs.
This paper provides an overview of current thinking on modes of delivery and the salient issues
surrounding FBP program implementation. Its purpose is to document current thinking and
experience, and identify areas of convergence and divergence. This will provide a starting point for
future consultations where key issues can be elaborated and prioritized, and a plan for future action
developed.
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