Malawi authorities probe supply of ARVs to ‘Kachasu’ brewers
Secretary for Nutrition, HIV-AIDS programme Dr Mary Shaba says government is investigating sources of supply of life-prolonging Anti Retroviral (ARV) drugs that are being used to distil locally brewed liquor popularly known as ‘kachasu’.
There have been reports that ARVs were being used for brewing of Kachasu in the southern region district of Thyolo.
According to media reports people in the district have been using ARVs to speed up fermentation of the traditional brew.
Shaba said government has investigated the reports and confirmed to be true.
“We commissioned a thorough investigation and its true some people were putting ARVs into Kachasu.” Shaba told Capital Radio.
“But how the ARVs get in the hands of Kachasu brewers it’s something we have not yet earthed out,” she said.
Shaba said investigations are currently underway to find out the supply of the Aids drugs to local gin brewers.
“People are working hard to identify how the ARVs are found in the hands of Kachasu brewers.
“The suspicion is either those people who are already taking ARVs are the ones who are sharing with the Kachasu people or there is another way of getting there,” she said
Shaba down played assertions that Aids sufferers in Thyolo district were selling the drugs to raise money due to problems of nutrition.
“I am also aware that Thyolo district is one of the districts like any other districts where we have tried our best to follow everything with nutrition and support,” she said.
“The problem is two people may know there is nutrition support while three people may not know there is nutrition support, so there are all those problems,” said Shaba.
The secretary for Nutrition, HIV-AIDS programme called on the public to “consult” her office if HIV/Aids sufferers have problems to do with nutrition saying there are impact mitigating programmes such as loan facilities.
“It’s unfortunate that people should be thinking of selling the ARV’s in order to get money. You know, you are trading life, your life is so valuable to Malawi as a nation [and] to your family,” said Shaba.
She called on people to use ARVs for its intended purpose and not put people at risks.
One Kachasu brewer Zione Enock told Malawi News – which exclusively made the revelation – that Kachasu fermented by ARVs is stronger and quickly matures.
According to reports, using ARVs requires less quantities of sugar in Kachasu and that one tablet of ARVs, distillers are using one packet of sugar to produce eight liters.
Another revelation indicates that some poultry farmers are feeding the drugs to their chicken.
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