National News

ARVs shortage in Malawi worries experts

Experts and an activist have called for Malawi Government’s commitment to save lives of people infected with HIV and Aids by ensuring that anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is available.

The officials said this in Malawi’s commercial city, Blantyre, at a debate which the Story Workshop and the National Association of People Living with HIV and Aids in Malawi (Napham) organised to discuss low supply of the drugs and inadequate CD4 count machines.

Jacqueline Chisale, a woman who tested positive six years ago and is on ART, told participants in the debate recorded for broadcast on Lende Nkukankhana radio programmes that instead of receiving three months supply of  the drugs, they are now getting a month’s supply.

Chisale said she is now buying bactrim, an antibiotic which is given to people living with HIV to suppress opportunistic infections, from private drug stores.

Said Chisale: “Sometimes I am forced to go without bactrim because I cannot afford it and I develop some illnesses such as diarrhoea. The situation is bad to those that are poor.”

On the CD4 count machines, Austin Kajogolo, who tested HIV positive in 1999, said it would be ideal if the machines are found at traditional authority level. 

Blantyre District Health Office ART coordinator Elson Bowa said there are three CD4 count machines at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), Ndirande and Bangwe clinics in Blantyre, admitting they are not enough to cover the whole district.

Napham Blantyre district coordinator Phunziro Jawati said 27 years later after HIV first case was registered government should have done better on availability of the machines and drugs.

Blantyre Kabula MP Felix Njawala agreed with Banda on lack of political will, saying that he will take up the issues to Parliament.

Related Articles

Back to top button