Zimbabwe’s stocks of locally produced anti-retrovirals (ARVs) are running low, the state daily said on Thursday.
The Herald reported that stocks of the locally manufactured life-prolonging drugs have dwindled due to shortages of foreign exchange needed to import raw materials used by pharmaceutical companies to produce the drugs.
Zimbabwe is one of the countries hardest hit by the HIV/Aids pandemic with an infection rate of 20,1% and at least 3 000 people dying weekly from HIV/Aids-related illness — or about one person every three minutes — according to the National Aids Council.
Drug stocks at about 48 public health centres across the country were not expected to last until December, according to sources who attended an emergency meeting called by the government this week to discuss the looming crisis.
”Stocks of anti-retroviral drugs… are running low, fuelling fears that the lives of thousands could soon be endangered,” the newspaper said.
The majority of the people infected by HIV get their supplies of drugs from government hospitals or clinics, while a few buy from private chemists.
But economic hardships have meant even those who used to afford the expensive imported brands are now turning to public institutions where a month’s supply cost the equivalent of two percent of the average retail prices.
Zimbabwe launched a public anti-retroviral treatment programme for the poor and vulnerable people aiming to roll-out ARVs to about 100 000 people by year-end, but less than 20 000 are receiving the drugs.
The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, last week gave Zimbabwe $105-million of which $62,7-million are earmarked to fight HIV/Aids.
The government collects a monthly levy from all workers to fund HIV/Aids projects.
Zimbabwe’s HIV prevalence rate has dropped by 4,5% to the current level of 20,1% in the past two years because of changed sexual behaviour, according to the government. – Sapa-AFP