Getting the Knack of NACS: Highlights from the State of the Art (SOTA) Meeting on Nutrition Assessment, Counseling and Support (NACS)

Getting the Knack of NACS (Nutrition Assessment, Counseling and Support) was a two-day state-of-the-art (SOTA) meeting aimed at taking stock of progress since the NACS meeting in Jinja, Uganda in 2010, examining the evidence base to date and further advancing the SOTA on NACS in the context of HIV and health care more broadly. While nutrition treatment in the form of therapeutic and supplementary foods continues to be an important aspect of integrated programming, stakeholders have recognized the importance of balancing emphasis among nutrition assessment, counseling and support (including food and nutrition supplements when necessary), as well as intervening before malnutrition occurs. Hence, the framework has evolved into an aspiration to deliver adequate prevention and treatment of malnutrition for all.