HIV/AIDS is an infectious disease caused by a virus that progressively destroys the body's immune system. HIV slowly breaks down the body's immune system, leading to an advanced stage of HIV disease known as AIDS.The mode of transmission of HIV/AIDS includes having unprotected sex and using injection drugs. Infants who are born to an infected mother are also at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.

Children with HIV or AIDS may show few signs or symptoms. Possible symptoms are a failure to grow and develop well, enlarged lymph nodes, enlarged liver, and enlarged spleen, swelling of salivary glands and frequent infections, including pneumonia, diarrhoea and thrush (a yeast infection on the surfaces of the mouth).

Following HIV infection, a good child feeding practice is very important to combat HIV infection-related diseases' and other infections.Therefore. during child illness, feeding should be increased to maintain their immunity.

In this section, you will learn about the assessment and classification of HIV infection. You most important responsibility is providing health education to the mothers or caregivers about HIV transmission because without health promotion, HIV transmission cannot be reduced or stopped. At the end of this session, you should be able to assess and classify the HIV-exposed and infected children based. You should also be able to provide appropriate counselling.

Last modified: Tuesday, 8 November 2016, 1:43 PM