Nchelenge district council chairman, Abel Chilukuta, wants doctors without Borders-Holland Medicine San Frontier, MSF, to postpone plans to phase out its HIV/AIDS project in the district.
Mr. Chilukuta said the intended pull out of the Humanitarian Aid Agency from the district would adversely affect hundreds of people currently receiving Anti-Retro Viral Therapy from the organization.
In a press release to the ZANIS in Nchelenge this morning, Mr. Chilukuta, who is also Kasamba ward councilor called on MSF to assess the impact of its intended departure on people living with HIV/AIDS, whom it has put on Anti Retro Viral Therapy before ending the project.
He said because of the efficient logistics of the organization, people in far flung area such as the Islands of Lake Mweru and other areas on mainland Nchelenge have been able to access ARVs.
Mr. Chilukuta said although every project always comes to an end, doctors without
borders should first put modalities in place to ensure that none of its clients is affected by the decision to phase out the project.
The Nchelenge council chairman has, however, appealed to government to find a reputable organization to replace doctors without borders if lives of people living
with HIV are to be saved.
He has called on government to ensure the organization that would take over from doctors without borders has trained staff and efficient logistics to effectively take over from where the Aid Agency will leave from.
Mr. Chilukuta said due to its fleet of speed boats and vehicles, doctors without
borders has set up mobile clinics on mainland Nchelenge and on Kilwa and Chisenga
Islands on Lake Mweru.
Doctors without borders which has been instrumental in providing ARVs to a lot of
people in Nchelenge district has announced the end of the project at the end of this
year.
