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People
with AIDS seek space to influence actions
Action
Aid International
February
05, 2008
http://www.actionaid.org/zimbabwe/index.aspx?PageID=2219
Faced with shortage
of foreign exchange that is hindering access to imported anti-retroviral
drugs, people living with HIV and AIDS are taking control of their
lives and demanding action.
People living
with HIV and AIDs are now living in fear that they may develop resistance
as their drugs are being substituted with second line drugs.
"They first
gave us expired drugs which the chief pharmacist unconvincingly
said had longer shelf life than was printed on the labels,"
says 42 year old Phillip Madzimure, a member of a STAR circle in
the satellite city of Chitungwiza.
"Star is
an ActionAid project that helps people affected by AIDS to reflect,
plan and act to live better lives says," Loveness Dzvimbo,
the star circle facilitator.
"Now they
have replaced Starvudine with Zdovdine a second line treatment drug
as one of the three combination drugs," says Phillip.
He says that they
may develop résistance to the drugs and compromise on the
quality of their lives.
Through the STAR
project many of people living with HIV and Aids are seeking solutions
to their problems.
"Being on
the driver’s seat providing solutions to our own problems is the
greatest thing that has happened to us," Phillip says
"From a situation
where we were discriminated against left, right and centre, today
we get audience with even the chief executive officer of the central
hospital to address our concerns," says Phillip, who is also
living with HIV
Some people living
with HIV and AIDS at Chitungwiza central hospital get free medical
services and costs for CD4 count have also come down by 95 percent
because of their efforts.
"Unless we
are represented in key decision making positions and committees
we will be sidelined in State welfare and other development programmes."
A local Women
and Aids Support Network (WASN), with support from ActionAid,
trained the facilitator who in turn rolled out the process to the
already existing support groups for people living with AIDS.
Visit
the Action Aid fact
sheet
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