National Aids Councils (NAC) has said Anti-Retroviral (ARVs) drugs have helped stabilize HIV/AIDS rate in the country.
NAC Director General, Ben Chirwa said it is difficult these days to identify one who is infected with HIV and AIDS from the one who is not.
Dr. Chirwa attributed the new development to the intake of ARVs by those who are infected.
He said some years ago HIV and AIDS people were associated with loss of weight and other symptoms which is not the case today.
He noted the statistics were showing that more people were getting infected and less were dying because of ARVs.
Dr. Chirwa said the strategy which was supposed to be adopted was to break the cycle of infection through HIV patients being open to talk.
And Dr. Chirwa said that government was committed to funding AIDS programs in the country.
He said government was commitment to funding HIV programs through procurement of treatment for the HIV patients.
ZANIS
You are right Dr Chirwa, Indeed ARVs have stabilsed Zambia and am sure you are speaking from experience. Otherwise without them you and your second wife would have been history my now. Thanks to ARVs, but ask your friends at the ministry of health to stop stealing money meant for taking ARVs to the poor as well so they can enjoy health life like you and your wife do.
Sure. if you call VJ and Dr Manda stabilized, then i concur.
This is good news , but more neds to be done e.g safe sex Education is key in the prevention.
What rate are they talking about ,mortality? It is highly irresponsible and immature to start accusing people especially hardworking authorities that they have any sort of illness,i know this is just a blog but this mentality of accusations on most Zambian discussion boards is sickening,let’s debate like mature people or are some of you kids.
I am glad ARV’s are accessible to those who need them in Zambia,it will only be a shame should the drugs not be enough because donors & co- operating partners have delayed or withheld support.
#4 JIGGA. Yes its mortality rate they are talking about but infection rate has increased. What a shame. Remember pharmaceuticals that manufacture these drugs are in it for profits. As long as they get their share they love it when you keep infecting each other. The only solution is tell people that ARV’s are not the answers to their promiscuity. I am also sick and tired of always calling for donors for things that are easily preventable. And since am the only one who finger pointed so far, you might just as well have screamed my name. So unless you credit VJ’s skeletal looks to extreme dieting or his baby hair to some kind of chemo or wet look, or Dr Mandas bobblehead looks as the in thing, then yes am childish!
#5 dalitso, you are the same ignorant pipo who still think if someone is postive, means they asked for it. Have thought about the women who have done nothing wrong , but end up being infeacted by their husbands or boy friends, or the men who are careful , but end up being infected by their partners, lets think before we talk
#6 and this is the reason am saying educate these same arrogant persons rather than lobbying for ARV’s!
not too long ago we read of a government official who has plundered resources and women i might add. the next time he shows up looking like a scare scrow you will still be in denial. be realistic!
JIGGA @#4 -Yes how can ARVs stabilise the rate of spread of HIV/AIDS? I thought that rate lowering or soaring is as a result of public awareness or lack of it. ARVs can only reduce mortality rate among the afflicted but the rate of spreading the disease.
The solution now, since there is palliative medicine, is to allow for mandatory HIV testing for any patient in hospital and all pregnant women including contact tracing. This disease must not be treated with kid’s gloves. We have a hiatus at the moment and if we do not take advantage, the later state may be worse than the first. I believe that had this disease been made notifiable many years ago, a lot of lives would have been saved. Stigmatisation will never end because the nature of humans is to laugh at those who are not like them. We will never honour each other as humans made in God’s image as long as someone will have an opportunity to ridicule or score a cheap point for a laugh. But survive, we must, regardless.
It is this attitude by some bloggers here who are bent on showing off their clinical know-how and diagnosing and outing people that causes the continued spread of this disease. Those who have tested HIV positive are less likely to be a danger to others. It is those who look ‘well’ but do not know their stuts that are a danger to others. I hope the people who make comments like PapaJ, Dalitso’s are not medical people because they lack compassion and sympathy.
That statement doesn’t make sense at all, he’s supposed to say ARVs have stabilised the bodies of the infected. He’s even contradicted himself by saying it is difficult to differentiate the fit from the infected. They are now living longer but spreading the infection and that’s not stabilisation.
Hay, Papa J, does it matter if Dr Chirwa or his second wife have HIV, this dude has done a lot for the Zambian nations and he continues to try and keep others alive, could not care less if he has or not, at least he knows his status, do you know your own, that is the point, if each one of us knows our status, then we can access these ARV’s and live healthily with HIV – Luv to Dr Chirwa.
Zambians, my pipo, we never change…..look at the States and how they debate matters. Lets fight the stigma if we are to help ease the burdens on those infected and not infected. It is a disease like any other, if a person can live with diabetes, BP, & manege it…so can one live with HIV, so long one is not spreading it. THAT IS WHAT WE NEED TO PREACH, U HAVE IT STAY SAFE & MANAGE IT, U DONT HAVE IT, THK GOD & KEEP IT SAFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!