News / Health
HIV+ adult patients given children's medication
29 Apr 2013 at 06:07hrs | Views
THE shortage of cotrimoxazole at the country's public hospitals has forced some health, centres in Gwanda District to issue children's drugs to the HIV positive adults.
Some health centres in Gwanda District, which include Selonga and Sengezane clinics recently issued contrimoxazole for children to HIV positive adults because of the shortage of the drug.
In an interview on Wednesday last week, the Zimbabwe National Network of People 'Living with HIV (ZNNP+) Matabeleland South provincial chairperson, Mr Jerry Tozivaripi, said there was a serious shortage of cotrimoxazole at some clinics in Matabeleland South.
As a result the drugs meant for HIV positive children were also given to HIV positive adults.
"The shortage of cotrimoxazole in rural clinics is a persistent pain to HIV positive people and as a result this has seen some adults being given cotrimoxazole tablets meant for children. In this case, adult patients are forced to take large quantities of the tablets since one tablet for a child is not enough for an adult," he said.
Mr Tozivaripi said there were reports of some adult patients that were taking up to eight children's tablets per day for effectiveness.
"We have experienced that these large quantities of the tablets are a stress to some patients but there is no choice for those who cannot afford to buy the drugs from private pharmacies. We understand that we have a good supply of cotrimoxazole meant for children," he said.
Although there has been a shortage of cotrimoxazole in public hospitals, the drugs are readily available in private pharmacies.
Cotrimoxazole is a sulfonamide antibiotic combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, in the ratio of 1 to 5, used in the treatment of a variety of bacterial infections and a shortage of the drug puts HIV patients at risk of opportunistic infections.
"The Government should attend to the shortage of the drug as a matter of urgency and if it means more resources should be channelled towards the purchase of these drugs, let it be so and as soon as possible to save lives," said Mr Tozivaripi.
He said the rural based HIV positive people who are on antiretroviral treatment (ART) have limited access to CD4 count machines, which are limited to urban hospitals.
Some people have gone for up to five years without checking their CD4 count and as a result most of them may continue taking drugs which are no longer improving their health," said Mr Tozivaripi.
Long distances travelled by HIV patients in rural areas to the nearest clinics to collect their drugs remains another challenge for them.
Contacted for a comment, Matabeleland South provincial medical director Dr William Busumani said the problem was now under control as supplies of the drugs were being delivered to health institutions.
"Before March, we had a shortage of the drug but at the moment the drugs are being delivered and the situation has improved," he said.
Some health centres in Gwanda District, which include Selonga and Sengezane clinics recently issued contrimoxazole for children to HIV positive adults because of the shortage of the drug.
In an interview on Wednesday last week, the Zimbabwe National Network of People 'Living with HIV (ZNNP+) Matabeleland South provincial chairperson, Mr Jerry Tozivaripi, said there was a serious shortage of cotrimoxazole at some clinics in Matabeleland South.
As a result the drugs meant for HIV positive children were also given to HIV positive adults.
"The shortage of cotrimoxazole in rural clinics is a persistent pain to HIV positive people and as a result this has seen some adults being given cotrimoxazole tablets meant for children. In this case, adult patients are forced to take large quantities of the tablets since one tablet for a child is not enough for an adult," he said.
Mr Tozivaripi said there were reports of some adult patients that were taking up to eight children's tablets per day for effectiveness.
"We have experienced that these large quantities of the tablets are a stress to some patients but there is no choice for those who cannot afford to buy the drugs from private pharmacies. We understand that we have a good supply of cotrimoxazole meant for children," he said.
Although there has been a shortage of cotrimoxazole in public hospitals, the drugs are readily available in private pharmacies.
Cotrimoxazole is a sulfonamide antibiotic combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, in the ratio of 1 to 5, used in the treatment of a variety of bacterial infections and a shortage of the drug puts HIV patients at risk of opportunistic infections.
"The Government should attend to the shortage of the drug as a matter of urgency and if it means more resources should be channelled towards the purchase of these drugs, let it be so and as soon as possible to save lives," said Mr Tozivaripi.
He said the rural based HIV positive people who are on antiretroviral treatment (ART) have limited access to CD4 count machines, which are limited to urban hospitals.
Some people have gone for up to five years without checking their CD4 count and as a result most of them may continue taking drugs which are no longer improving their health," said Mr Tozivaripi.
Long distances travelled by HIV patients in rural areas to the nearest clinics to collect their drugs remains another challenge for them.
Contacted for a comment, Matabeleland South provincial medical director Dr William Busumani said the problem was now under control as supplies of the drugs were being delivered to health institutions.
"Before March, we had a shortage of the drug but at the moment the drugs are being delivered and the situation has improved," he said.
Source - TC
