The Variant Hunger: Native Selenium Deficiency and HIV AIDS In Kenya

Description

Increase in world population has led to intensification food production to feed ever increasing population. This has increased production of mainly grains with lower nutritional profile hence leading to variant hunger. This further leads to increased malnutrition rates which in turn has caused increase of nutrionaly deficiency diseases including HIV/AIDS by lowering immunity. Malnutrition weakens the immune system increasing the risk of ill health which in turn can aggravate disease transmission., including HIV/AIDS. Both protein /energy and micronutrient deficiency are associated with significant defects in cell mediated immunity and depressed phagocytic function. Infection for example AIDS are therefore longer lasting and more severe in someone who is malnourished. Malnutrition and HIV and AIDS can form a vicious cycle whereby for patients undernutrtion increases susceptibility to HIV infection and consequently worsens the severity of HIV and AIDS infection, which in turn results in further deterioration of nutritional status. Hence, a person with asymptomatic, infection, the virus impairs their nutritional status leading to loss of appetite, inability to absorb nutrients and wasting.