Government to roll out new AVR drug from April

The Zimbabwean Government is planning to start distributing a new Anti Retro Viral drug called Tenofovir in April, following complaints by recipients of Stavudine of side effects that have in some cases led to death.

The Ministry of Health head of TB unit, Dr Charles Sandy revealed to journalists during a media briefing hosted by Safaids in Harare that the combination of Tenofonvir, Laminuvine and Nevorapine is less toxic and causes minimum side effects.

Stavudine also known as Zerit or D4t is associated with side effects such as diabetes, muscularity, loss of memory, general body pain and fatigue, headaches and loss of libido in males. The continued use of the drug by the Ministry of Health resulted in some recipients defaulting risking developing drug resistant trends of HIV.

“We are changing the drug in view of the complaints recipients are giving, in accordance with World Health Organisation new guidelines. The probability of becoming resistant to an ARV drug is very high, if taken for more than three years.

The new drug is less toxic to human liver hence the recommendation although the cost of administering that drug is much higher,” revealed Dr Charles Sandy.

According to Dr Charles Sandy the cost of administering Stavudine combination (triomune) at a state hospital is $79 per annum whereas latest drugs which are less toxic and patient friendly will cost at least $137 a year per individual. 

Currently Zimbabwe has about 1, 3 million people living HIV of which 593, 000 are in need of Ante Retro Therapy although only 301,198 people are being catered for.

Despite achieving a sharp decline in HIV/Aids prevalence within a short time Zimbabwe is still suffering from a high mortality rate of around 86 000 mainly due to TB. It is estimated that about 80 percent of people with TB have HIV hence the integrated model of testing people with any ailment for HIV.

Efforts have been put in place to reduce the death toll to 46 000 by 2015 through provision of quality HIV care, expanding and sustaining the currency WHO programmes, early initialisation of ART, increased laboratory capacity, nutritional support and abolition of user fees.

By John Cassim