News / National
HIV+ patients warned against black market drugs
10 Jul 2014 at 04:02hrs | Views
THE Government has warned people living with HIV and Aids against buying smuggled anti-retroviral (ARVs) drugs from the black market as this exposes them to complications.
Responding to concerns that illegally imported ARVs of the so called latest generation drugs were flooding the market, Health and Child Care Deputy Minister, Dr Paul Chimedza, urged the nation to tread with care on those drugs.
He acknowledged ARVs from South Africa and Zambia were increasingly finding their way into the market where they are selling like "hot cakes".
The drugs include the latest regime of the so called Fixed Dose Combination of Tenofovir, Efavirenz and Lamivudine (Tenolam E), and allow patients to take just one tablet a day, reducing the pill burden without even consulting their doctors.
"We've an essential drugs list as a country which we follow. We look at a drug against economic scales, affordability and side effects. We look at these things and settle on the best drug at that time for our people," said Dr Chimedza.
He added: "The drugs are not like fashion where one can just decide to leave because he or she has seen someone wearing something he or she likes. It doesn't work like that."
Dr Chimedza said the fact that PLWHIV in other countries were taking the latest drugs not available in the country did not justify why people should buy drugs from the black market.
"There are things such as the viral load and the CD 4 count which should be considered when we recommend one for ARVs," said the deputy minister.
"If there is a new regime, we'll introduce it after thorough scientific and economic considerations for the country."
Dr Chimedza said ARVs were finite adding that if a positive person moves to the next line, they cannot go back.
"If one moves from the first to the second line, that person can't go back because they might develop resistance. If therefore you move to the last line because they are doing it in South Africa, that is dangerous," he warned.
Dr Chimedza said the country had a bright future in the fight against HIV and Aids as evidenced by the decline in new infection rates to the current figure of about 13 percent.
"I call upon our people to have confidence in our health system, to have confidence in our health personnel because we have the best. Our doctors are better than others in other countries," he said.
The deputy minister said fake drugs would always be there and called on Zimbabweans to stop being gullible and risk their lives for nothing.
Responding to concerns that illegally imported ARVs of the so called latest generation drugs were flooding the market, Health and Child Care Deputy Minister, Dr Paul Chimedza, urged the nation to tread with care on those drugs.
He acknowledged ARVs from South Africa and Zambia were increasingly finding their way into the market where they are selling like "hot cakes".
The drugs include the latest regime of the so called Fixed Dose Combination of Tenofovir, Efavirenz and Lamivudine (Tenolam E), and allow patients to take just one tablet a day, reducing the pill burden without even consulting their doctors.
"We've an essential drugs list as a country which we follow. We look at a drug against economic scales, affordability and side effects. We look at these things and settle on the best drug at that time for our people," said Dr Chimedza.
He added: "The drugs are not like fashion where one can just decide to leave because he or she has seen someone wearing something he or she likes. It doesn't work like that."
Dr Chimedza said the fact that PLWHIV in other countries were taking the latest drugs not available in the country did not justify why people should buy drugs from the black market.
"There are things such as the viral load and the CD 4 count which should be considered when we recommend one for ARVs," said the deputy minister.
"If there is a new regime, we'll introduce it after thorough scientific and economic considerations for the country."
Dr Chimedza said ARVs were finite adding that if a positive person moves to the next line, they cannot go back.
"If one moves from the first to the second line, that person can't go back because they might develop resistance. If therefore you move to the last line because they are doing it in South Africa, that is dangerous," he warned.
Dr Chimedza said the country had a bright future in the fight against HIV and Aids as evidenced by the decline in new infection rates to the current figure of about 13 percent.
"I call upon our people to have confidence in our health system, to have confidence in our health personnel because we have the best. Our doctors are better than others in other countries," he said.
The deputy minister said fake drugs would always be there and called on Zimbabweans to stop being gullible and risk their lives for nothing.
Source - chronicle
