Zimbabwe Faces HIV/Aids Catastrophe As Drugs Crisis Bites

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Botswana: Zim Faces HIV/Aids Catastrophe As Drugs Crisis Bites

Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone) 27 March 2008

Posted to the web 28 March 2008, Victor Mulangisi, Gaborone

Near disaster is looming in Zimbabwe's provision of accelerated

healthcare to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs).

This is so because of a crippling shortage of food and life-saving

drugs across the country. People go without basic foods for weeks

though they many have money in their wallets.

With virtually no foreign exchange, Zimbabwe is also finding it

difficult to provide adequate life-saving drugs. It never rains, it

pours. Coupled with the recurrent food crisis the plight of PLWHAs is

beyond redemption. To its credit, however, the Zimbabwean government

has taken a very bold stance in the awareness programmes that people

living with HIV and AIDS must be provided with adequate nutritious

foods to fill the gap created by medicinal dearth. There are high

chances of multiple infections when one has a weakened immune system.

When these infections multiply there is massive loss of nutrients,

which negatively make the afflicted person lose appetite. Loss of

appetite is in itself a cause for great concern among Zimbabwean

non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who are acutely aware of the

fact that without proper food the human body gets further weakened

leading to malnutrition.

But sadly in a country where there is a dislocation of drug and food

supplies, due to political interference in commerce and industry,

people just stay at home without seeking medical help foolishly hoping

nature will take its course in the recuperation process. Government

awareness campaigns have worked but ignorance of the disease is still

a big problem in that often the infected person and people around

him/her will not notice anything. If they do, they will not think of

going beyond the circumference of the disease's characteristics.

Only in the defining stages when other infections like tuberculosis

(TB), pneumonia and diarrhoea start manifesting themselves, will the

sufferer and relatives start to do something about it. Zimbabwe has a

serious backlog in the provision of ARVs to people in crying need of

them. Approximately 60,000 people are receiving these drugs yet

600,000 are critically in need out of 1.8million infected. The

reported decline in the prevalence rates does however not bring

normalcy or a reprieve to government because those already struggling

with the virus need treatment.

In September 2005, President Mugabe launched the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) set by world leaders, as one of the crucial

issues facing the international community. Among these HIV/AIDS,

malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases were considered as target

areas by the grouping.

But how will Zimbabwe meet these goals when she has been found wanting

on PLWHAs rollout? As the nation goes to the polls on March 29, these

should be issues that will be in every voter's mind.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200803280114.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Zimbabwe