Malawi report says 433,000 HIV positive patients not on ARV treatment
At least 433,000 people living with HIV and Aids (PLHA) in the country are not accessing Ant Retroviral (ARVs) drugs due to insufficient resources to procure the drug Mana has established.
According to a recent National AIDs Commission Report of 2010, only 200,000 people living with HIV and Aids were accessing ARVs putting the remaining number at risk.
The report notes that Malawi as a country did not have enough money to buy drugs to accommodate all the people living with HIV and Aids.
Furthermore, the report shows that the drug that donors were donating to Malawi were only enough for 200,000 people.
Dr. Drafter Khembo HIV and AIDs Programme manager from the Department of Public Service confirmed the development saying that the government did not have enough money to buy ARVs rescue all the people whose CD4 count had lowered.
He said it was sad for the country but there was nothing they could do to help the affected people.
“It is very sad that we cannot assist our brothers and sisters suffering from the pandemic. What Malawians need to know is that we don’t have enough resources to procure ARVs,” explained Khembo adding even the drugs donated to the country could not cater for every person living with the virus,” he explained.
Khembo further said the increasing number of people living with HIV and Aids put the country at an awkward situation as they were unable procure enough drugs.
“There are new ARV drugs but we cannot introduce them in the country as they are too expensive,” he explained.
Dr. Khembo appealed to people living with HIV and Aids that have no access to ARVs to buy Bacterium drug to avoid infections of opportunistic diseases.
But media reported that there was no free bacterium drug in the country forcing PLHA buying them in pharmaceuticals, a development government also confirmed as true.
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