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Shortage of anti-retroviral drugs hampering effort
The Herald (Zimbabwe)
March 08, 2006

http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=595&cat=1&livedate=3/8/2006

THE shortage of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) in public health institutions, coupled with escalating costs in privately-run health centres, has adversely affected efforts to contain of HIV/Aids pandemic.

Many people living with the disease are now borrowing from each other the life-prolonging drugs after failing to secure them from the public health institutions or after failing to buy them from the private clinics.

Giving oral evidence before Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Welfare, an HIV/Aids patient said the uncertainty created by the unavailability of the drugs was so frightening and could cause stress in a patient.

"I am supposed to go to collect the drugs from Harare Central Hospital tomorrow but my friend, who was there last week, returned empty-handed. She was told that there were no drugs in stock, and I have actually been lending her mine," said the patient, who is also a member of the Zimbabwe Network for People Living With HIV/Aids (ZNPP+).

"That uncertainty is distressing and traumatising and this might lead to a further deterioration of one’s health. This is because if one defaults in taking the tablets, the side effects are ghastly to contemplate."

She said many of her colleagues had tested positive to the disease and were actually bedridden, but could not be enrolled on the public therapy programme because of the unavailability of the drugs.

Many people who had been quietly taking the tablets from private doctors and other institutions were now coming in the open, wanting to be enrolled on the public therapy programme.

This is, she said, was because they could no longer afford to continue buying the drugs from the private institutions as prices have continued to skyrocket to as much as $9 million, if not more.

When asked if they had considered taking herbal medicine, she said herbal medicine mostly complemented the medication and would not assist substantively a person who was already bedridden.

ARV drugs boost one’s immunity system more than the herbal medicine, she said.

She also complained that the food kit provided to people living with the disease by the National Aids Council (NCA) under home-based care fell far short of what was adequate, thus, further exacerbating the situation.

"Once a person falls ill, chances are that she loses all resources mostly through medication costs and the food kit they are getting is inadequate," she said.

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