THE Ministry of Health has launched new fixed drug combinations (FDCs) for the treatment of HIV and AIDS.
Minister of Health Kapembwa Simbao said at the launch of the medicines at Southern Sun Ridgeway Hotel on Thursday that the new combinations will reduce the drug burden of people on antiretroviral treatment.
Mr Simbao said in a speech read for him by his Deputy Minister, Christopher Kalila, the ministry has launched the combinations to make them accessible to the general public because only few individuals have been accessing them in private health institutions.
“I am here to launch the new fixed drug combinations to improve the equity of access to antiretroviral drugs in the public sector. I am aware that some of these fixed drugs are available in the private sector, but only for the minority of Zambians who seek healthcare services in these facilities,” Mr Simbao said.
He said the distribution of the drugs, which are stocked at Medical Stores, has started and is being conducted through the ministry’s normal distribution channels.
Mr Simbao said the new drug combinations for children are: Zidovudine + Lamivudine + Niverapine; Zidovudine + Lamivudine, and Abacavir + Lamivudine.
He said adults will now have to take only one pill once a day and that the combination of the pill is Efaverenz + Truvada or Atripla.
Mr Simbao said his ministry is currently treating 344,000 people, who are receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV, of which 26,000 are children representing eight percent of the people on treatment.
He said there is an imbalance in healthcare services between those being given to adults and those to children, and that Government is working hard to address the situation.
Mr Simbao said the national target is that 10 percent of the people receiving antiretroviral treatment should be children.
He said the new fixed drug combinations will be beneficial to both adult and child patients because it will simplify regimens.
Mr Simbao said simplified regimens will encourage adherence to treatment, which is vital in delaying AIDS.
He said the new combinations are easier to break apart for correct dosage for younger children, and can be dissolved in milk or clean water for easier administration to infants.
Mr Simbao said the drugs are also easier to store as they do not need stringent storage conditions like syrups, which have shorter shelf life resulting in a lot of wastage through expiry.
He said the launch of the drugs will help Government save resources in terms of shipping, transportation and storage as they are less bulky and heavy, compared to single drug formulations and syrups.
Mr Simbao said the ministry’s old antiretroviral formulary will still continue to stock some single drug formulations and syrups for patients who may require them in their regimen.
World Health Organisation country director OlusegunBabaniyi said it is important that the public is sensitised on the need to adhere to taking the drugs.
Ministry of Health director for clinical care and diagnostic services Gardner Siakantu said the launch of the drug combinations is a milestone in the delivery of antiretroviral services to both children and adults in the country.
Zambia Paediatric Association (ZPA) president Nanthalile Mugala said her association is happy that prescription of antiretroviral drugs has been made easier for paediatric doctors.
Dr Mugala said the association is especially happy with the attention children are getting in antiretroviral treatment matters.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
So ninshi kulakolwa fye lyonse, this is gud news, i also want to be positive then, atleast motivation iliko manje!!
Long overdue!!!!
as a person on treatment we need updated or more information through our centres, personaly i speak as a person liiving with the virus .please send me more information want to leave on thanks to health person who councled me and govenment i could be dead by now.also help us suportive food stuffs to suprement our poor diet.
fya ku ufwa nsoni wa lafwapo fyee if u feel sick get to any health centre you will be assisted insoni shasandula fulwe kula mu tola na kubaiche -tawakaufweepo ukatila naipaya fullwe insoni ta shafwa my dear any one can be sick –
<):)thanks to the sientist who around the clock look into our health.dont be shai take your drugs as precraibed by your health advicers
It is estimated that 1 in 5 to 6 Zambians are living with HIV. If that is the case, there should be about 2 million Zambians HIV positive. To stop the spread of disease, mathematical models show that at least 80% of infected people must be non-infective. I submit that it is time that Zambia started mandatory HIV testing just like doctors test for malaria or TB or anaemia. No questions asked. Obviously, all medical staff must swear to keep confidence on oath and be suable if they leak information. If we treated everyon with a CD4 count of less than 500, we could get rid of this scourge in less than a decade. Imagine all these resoureces now going to other areas of society.
Long overdue. This was supposed to be done 2 years ago but Kapoko and the ministry officials stole all the money to enrich themselves when deserving souls were dying, pathetic!!
its a wonder people are still doing it live anyhow anywhere and dont do regular tests of themselves even when compelled! We need the mandatory testing and also criminalise wilful infection, baya sana ba fi….