Don’t abandon ART—Clinician

Chief clinical officer and HIV and Aids coordinator for Mlambe Mission Hospital has appealed for people on anti-retroviral treatment (ART) not to abandon the drugs as one way of ensuring that they live a longer and healthy life.

Madalisto Chitsakamire said this on the sidelines of an HIV and Aids mobilisation campaign at Nazombe, Lunzu in Blantyre, adding that abandoning treatment not only weakens one’s immunity, but also makes the body develop resistance to treatment.

“Even though the number of people infected has reduced, HIV and Aids is still killing people. People are developing resistance to these drugs once they abandon treatment. And in the future it will be difficult to handle such patients,” he said.

Chitsakamire said, currently, less than 50 percent of the people in their catchment area—who are supposed to be on ART—are yet to start accessing the drugs, a situation he said is worrisome.

“Mlambe Mission Hospital has a catchment population of 56 500, but we do have other people coming for treatment from areas outside the catchment area. Currently, only 5 000 clients, including those from outside our catchment area, are on ART, which is 50 percent or less of those who are supposed to be on treatment right now.

“The mobilisation campaign serves to, among other things, encourage people to know their status, understand new issues in HIV and Aids management, sexually transmitted diseases and ART uptake and adherence,” he said.

Among other activities on the day was HIV and Aids testing and counselling, an exercise that received overwhelming response from the community.

“I am very happy that officials from the hospital had come to our doorsteps to offer these services. I am even happier that now I got tested and have known my status which will also help me in planning for the future,” said Sewa Chisanje, one of the people who got tested during the campaign.

The programme is being funded by Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in conjunction with the Christian Health Association of Malawi (Cham) and will run for one year. n