THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH HAS DISPELLED ASSERTIONS THAT THE COUNTRY HAS NO ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS

THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH HAS DISPELLED ASSERTIONS THAT THE COUNTRY HAS NO ANTIRETROVIRAL DRUGS FOR THE PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV AND AIDS.

IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RADIO PHOENIX TODAY, MINISTRY OF HEALTH ART COORDINATOR DR CRISPIN MOYO DISCLOSED THAT THE COUNTRY RECEIVED ALL THE DRUGS THAT RAN OUT AS EARLY AS MONDAY AND HAVE SINCE BEEN DISPATCHED TO HEALTH CENTERS.

DR MOYO EXPLAINED THAT WHAT CAUSED THE DRUGS TO RUN OUT WAS THE A SUDDEN CHANGE IN PRESCRIPTION HABITS DUE TO AVAILABILITY OF CERTAIN TEST NEEDED BEFORE A PERSON CAN BE PUT ON FIRST LINE TREATMENT IN THE WHICH CAUSED THE SHORTAGE OF SPECIFICALLY TWO DRUGS.

HE NAMED ABACAVIR AND LAMIVUDINE AS THE TWO DRUGS THAT HAD RUN OUT IN CERTAIN HIV-AIDS CENTER IN THE COUNTRY AND HAVE SINCE BEEN DISTRIBUTED.

DR MOYO HOWEVER ADMITTED THAT ABACAVIR AND LAMIVUDINE HAD RUN OUT AT SELECTED FACILITY ADDING THAT THE UPSURGE WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE MINISTRY TO PREDICT.

THE COUNTRY HAS LAST WEEK RUN OUT OF THE HIV AND AIDS DRUGS WHICH CAUSED PANIC AMONG THOSE ON ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY.

MEANWHILE, UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S EMERGENCY FUND (UNICEF) IS OPPORTUNISTIC THAT THEIR COLOUR-CODED BOX FULL OF DRUGS CAN STOP MOTHER TO BABY TRANSMISSION OF THE HIV VIRUS.

UNICEF IS DETERMINED TO FINALLY PUT AN END TO MOTHER-BABY HIV TRANSMISSION HENCE WILL START TO DISTRIBUTE 30,000 OF THESE BOXES TO PREGNANT WOMEN IN ZAMBIA, CAMEROON, KENYA AND LESOTHO THIS MONTH.

THE BOX CONTAINS MEDICINES FOR BOTH MOTHER AND BABY THAT ARE NEEDED TO PROTECT AN HIV MOTHER FROM INFECTING HER INFANT. INSTRUCTIONS ARE SIMPLE AND COLOUR-CODED WITH PICTURES FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT READ INSTRUCTIONS.

HEAD OF UNICEF’S HIV AND AIDS AT THE UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND JIMMY KOLKER, SAYS HE WANTS TO EMPOWER WOMEN TO CONTROL THEIR OWN CARE AND THAT OF THEIR UNBORN CHILD.

DEVELOPED COUNTRIES DO NOT HAVE HIV TRANSMISSIONS TO BABIES FROM MOTHERS BUT UNFORTUNATELY IN AFRICA 1,000 NEW INFANTS ARE BORN HIV POSITIVE EACH DAY.

KOLKER SAYS THE TECHNOLOGY TO STOP HIV FROM MOVING ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION IS ALREADY AVAILABLE ADDING THAT THE UN WANTS TO MAKE THE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINES AVAILABLE TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT TIME TO STOP IT COMPLETELY BY 2015.

ACCORDING TO THE JOINT UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME ON HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), MORE THAN 50% OF HIV POSITIVE WOMEN IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA IN 2008 DID NOT GET DRUGS TO STOP HIV TRANSMISSION TO THEIR CHILDREN.

THE UNICEF HIV BOX IS DIVIDED INTO 3 SECTIONS. THE BLUE SECTION CONTAINS DRUGS TO BE TAKEN DURING PREGNANCY. THE YELLOW BOX CONTAINS MEDICINES TO BE USED DURING LABOR AND THE PINK FOR BOTH MOTHER AND CHILD AFTER DELIVERY.

UNICEF PLANS TO REACH 100,000 WOMEN BY 2011. IF SUCCESSFUL, UNICEF WILL SCALE UP THE PROJECT AND DISTRIBUTE THE BOXES TO MORE COUNTRIES.

ENDS///////////

ENDS//////////