South Africa, poor fight against anti-HIV drugs among viruses

Desperate in life-saving drug treatment, the four single mothers called on a friend called the Sistermura Foundation, a local charity nurse who helps HIV-infected individuals. She is one of the lucky ones. Since April, the Foundation has been providing locally purchased drugs to Zulu.

In South Africa and around the world, pandemics disrupt the supply of antiretroviral drugs and endanger the lives of many more than 24 million people worldwide who are taking drugs to suppress the HIV virus.

In sub-Saharan Africa alone, a UNAIDS study found that a six-month interruption of antiretroviral therapy could lead to an additional 500,000 AIDS-related deaths.

Confusion is especially troublesome in South Africa, with the world’s largest 7.7 million HIV-positive people, 62% of whom rely on government antiretroviral programs and are the largest in the world. UNAIDS reports that anti-coronavirus regulations prevent both imports of drugs and local production and distribution of drugs.

In addition, many HIV patients stopped going to busy clinics for fear of exposure to coronaviruses. And others can’t afford the shipping costs to get to the clinic.

UNAIDS Executive Secretary Winnie Byanyima said in June, countries should urgently develop a plan to mitigate the effects of higher costs and lower availability of antiretroviral drugs.

“I urge countries and buyers of HIV medicines to act swiftly to continue to receive treatment, save lives, and prevent new HIV infections,” said Byanyima. Said.

HIV-positive people infected with COVID-19 can die more than twice as often as people without HIV, according to an early study of mortality in the western epicenter of South Africa, the first epicenter of people living with HIV It is said to be highly effective.

“I’m worried that deaths from superinfections such as tuberculosis and other opportunistic infections will increase,” HIV research clinician Nomathemba Chandiwana told the Associated Press.

She said in a clinic in central Johannesburg, the number of people coming for HIV treatment fell by 10% to 25%. Moreover, some clinics had to be temporarily closed when nurses and doctors became ill with COVID-19.

“Some clinics see 60 to 80 patients a day, so even if they’re closed for a week, many people aren’t taking the drug. It’s a serious threat.” Said Chandiwana, who works for Edinsha, which is part of the University of Witwatersland.

COVID-19 also interferes with vaccination. According to Shabiru Madi, a professor of vaccinology at the same university who warned of the possible outbreak of measles, childhood vaccination has fallen by 25% over the past few months.

Diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis has also been hampered by pandemics, endangering the lives of many of South Africa’s most deprived citizens, medical experts say.

“The abuse of these drugs is a public health problem. It threatens the poor and the most vulnerable,” said South Africa, which has HIV programs in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal states. I am Vinyarak Bhardwaj, Deputy Director of the Doctors Without Borders program at.

“We are addressing this threat, minimizing deficiencies, providing stable HIV patients with multi-month prescriptions, and limiting visits to the clinic. We also increase treatment advice by phone and internet. I am doing it.”

Reliable supply of antiretroviral drugs is very important in South Africa, and a monitoring program, Stop Stockouts, was created in 2013 to closely track and respond to disruptions within the COVID-19 pandemic. ..

Godwana, a factory town in the northeast of the country, is a truck that stops on the highway to Mozambique, a epitome of South Africa’s inequality and the highest rated in the world.

The 3,500 residents of Ngodwana are mostly black and live in dense Shantitown, where electricity and water are limited. Keeping a safe distance is almost impossible. A few years ago, truck traffic was accused of bringing HIV to the area. Now I am worried that it will become a hot spot for COVID-19.

Many people in Ngodwana are worried about going to a crowded local clinic because they can’t afford the drugs to the town of Nelspruit 40 miles (25 miles) away. So the Dutch-based aid group North Star Alliance has set up a drop-in center with a tent and started a home visit.

Nurse Noma Utanda Sidna, wearing a mask, gloves and surgical gown, went through the dirt street in Godwana to a house with a tin roof covered with mud. Upon entering, she immediately set about work, distributed two months of antiretroviral medications to sex worker HIV-positive women, and advised on how to stay as safe as possible in a pandemic.

“You need to know that with COVID you have to be treated every day at the same time, as always,” Sidna told her. “And when you’re sleeping with someone, you have to use a condom.”

The cute Muhabella (34) said the pandemic scared her and is taking new precautions as a sex worker.

“Yes, I’m scared,” Muhabella said. “When working with clients, use masks, and clients use masks.”

Another resident, Rose Khondowa, traveled to Nelspruit to try and get antiretroviral drugs, but was locked after the clinic was temporarily closed due to a COVID-19 outbreak by hospital workers. I came across a gate. She didn’t have enough money for her second trip, about $4.

Coincidentally, she saw the North Star Alliance Watchtower in Ngodowana and managed to get a month’s supply of antiretroviral drugs.

“I would have been dead if I couldn’t find it,” she said.

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