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Zimbabwe: Fears of Drug Resistance to HIV/Aids Medicines
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Zimbabwe Standard (Harare)
10 May 2008
Posted to the web 12 May 2008
Bertha Shoko
PEOPLE living with HIV and Aids (PLWAs) say they fear developing drug resistance amid reports of severe shortages of drug combinations at the major referral hospitals.
The PLWAs are on the government-run antiretroviral therapy programmes.
The most affected referral health centres are Parirenyatwa and Harare Central Hospitals.
The Standard understands that PLWAs on anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) at the State hospitals are being asked to buy a number of drug combinations at private pharmacies because of erratic drugs supplies.
The drugs reportedly in short supply are Zidovudine, Effavirenz (which is taken by PLWAs on Tuberculosis treatment) and first line ARV drug -- Stalanev.
PLWAs who spoke to The Standard last week said they were missing their doses because they could not afford the drugs. Skipping doses is said to be "very dangerous" to their health.
As of last week, a month's supply of Effavirenz was about $2.5 billion while Zidovudine was being sold at $2 billion in most pharmacies.
On average a Zimbabwean worker earns $1.5 billion a month.
One PLWA, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was told on a recent visit to Harare hospital that he had to buy Zidovudine on his own but had failed to raise the money.
As a result he went for almost one week without his medication.
"I have been on ARVs since 2005," he said. "I developed drug resistance to the first line and was put on the second line. I am now supposed to be taking second line drugs, Kaletra and Zidovudine.
"The problem is that sometimes I get a full combination at the hospital but sometimes they ask me to buy one or both of the drugs. I cannot afford this."
Another PLWA said she has been having problems obtaining Effavirenz from the Parirenyatwa Hospital where she collects her drugs.
"On 27 March this year, I went to Parirenyatwa Hospital to collect my drugs but was told that they had no Effavirenz," she said.
"My combination as a TB patient is Coviro and Effavirenz, but most of the time when I go there the pharmacy doesn't have Effavirenz. I don't work and I can't afford to buy this drug on my own."
Zimbabwe HIV and Aids Activist Union (ZHAAU) president Bernard Nyathi last week said he was concerned at the continuing shortages.
Nyathi, who is himself HIV positive, said the shortages posed great danger to PLWAs.
"If a PLWA continues to skip doses like this the drugs will not work in future. Their health will deteriorate and this will be very unfortunate," he said.
"We sincerely urge the government to look into this issue as a matter of urgency. They must sound alarm bells to the donor community if they are facing problems because a lot of lives may be in danger."
Official figures indicate that countrywide at least 3 500 people succumb every week to HIV/Aids-related illnesses.
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The Minister of Health and Child Welfare Dr David Parirenyatwa said he was unaware of the drug shortages but promised to investigate.
For the past eight years, Zimbabwe is has been facing a critical shortage of drugs, equipment and staff.
Most of health professionals -- doctors, nurses and pharmacists -- have left the country in search of greener pastures and better working conditions.
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