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Abstract
Another example is the Sudanese region of Darfur, still plagued by violence and massive population displacements, where alarming rates of wasting (defined in terms of low weight-for-height against international standards) were reported during 2004 in pre-school children (aged 6 months to 5 years).1 At the height of the recent crisis it was estimated that about 22% of children in the physically accessible areas of Darfur (300 000 individuals) were wasted (<2 SD of mean weight-for-height), with between 2 and 6% severely wasted (<-3 SD of weight-for-height), depending on the district. Over time, as the pandemic progresses, high HIV/AIDS rates will contribute to worsening nutrition, both from the direct effects of the disease and from an indirect impact on household food security and child care. Because HIV/AIDS rates are highest in urban areas, attention must be drawn also to populations usually regarded as less in need than their rural counterparts to prevent a serious population-wide deterioration in nutrition.8 We should not, and cannot, wait for the arrival of another silent emergency to propel us into action to address the cumulative threat of HIV/AIDS and wasting (alongside other forms of malnutrition).