Siavonga District Medical Officer bemoans high levels of non adherence to HIV treatment

Siavonga District Medical Officer bemoans high levels of non adherence to HIV treatment

Siavonga, February 16, ZANIS…………… Acting Siavonga District Medical Officer has bemoaned the high levels of non adherence to HIV treatment in the district.

Dr. Phallon Mwaba says people on antiretroviral treatment (ART) in the district have a tendency of stopping medication once they start feeling better; a situation he said was posing a challenge to clinicians to effectively manage HIV.

He told ZANIS in an interview that it was regrettable that the situation was the cause of over 90 per cent deaths recorded at the district hospital.

He siad many people on ART stop going for appointments at the hospital when they start feeling strong and only visit the hospital  when opportunistic infections start,  which in some cases present a challenge to effective treatment.

He has since called on the community to have the right attitude regarding ART to help reduce HIV related deaths.

Dr Mwaba added that there was no need for the community to fear discrimination because of being HIV positive as their lives were more important than stigmatization which was slowly fading away.

He has further urged the community to know their HIV status and those on ART to adhere to treatment because research has shown that an HIV positive person can live longer.