HIV patients condemn ARVs misuse

HIV patients condemn ARVs misuse

Lusaka, September, 11, 2014,ZANIS—Network of  Antiretroviral Drug Users  (NADU) chairperson Danny Lungu has strongly condemned the misuse of antiretroviral drugs (ARV’S) by some people in Malawi.

Mr Lungu who has lived positively for 24 years and has been taking ARV’S for the past 14 years told ZANIS News in an interview in Lusaka that it was unfortunate that some  traders in Malawi were using the lifesaving  drugs  meant for people living with HIV to fatten their livestock and brew gin.

He said the law enforcement authorities in that country should strongly deal with the culprits as they are the ones who are causing unnecessary shortages of drugs.

Mr Lungu said that it was inhuman  for some brewers to be fermenting maize husks in the ARV’s to produce a traditional gin known as Kachasu claiming that  the resulting gin is very strong and matures quickly.

He said people living with HIV solely depend on ARV’S and for some commercial chicken and pig farmers to be abusing the drugs by adding them to broiler feed believing that it will enhance weight gain so they can be sold quicker is very depressing and degrading. 

Mr Lungu said the break-down in the security of drugs in that country’s hospitals should be sealed as soon as possible before unnecessary shortages are created.

He said Zambia already has a record of irregular flow of ARV’S and if such trends spread to other countries, the HIV pandemic will be very difficult to combat  .