Zimbabwe Runs Out Of HIV Drugs

The nation of Zimbabwe has run out of Anti-Retroviral drugs (ARVs), dealing a major blow to the HIV and AIDS patients, a highly placed source in the health sector has revealed.

The source added that only patients who take Cotrimoxazole ARVs (on level one or first line therapy) might be lucky as there are limited quantities still available owing to a government embargo on the drugs early this year. All other drugs are out of supply," said the source in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.

He added that those HIV positive patients with the A-B strain of the disease might die soon as it is difficult to manage.

Zimbabwe has more than six million HIV positive people and their fate could be sealed owing to the unavailability of the drugs, which are very expensive in private pharmacies and beyond the reach of many.

The source added that even if the drugs were available, most of them never found their way on the deserving patients as oficials looted some for the ill relatives, while diverting others on the parallel market. Courtesy Radio VOP