Death or Second line ART?

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Dear forum members,

My name is Sunil from Imphal, Manipur, an executive member of a drug user

organization known as Social Awareness Service Organisation (SASO). I have been

living with HIV for more than 10 years and started taking first line ART since

2000. I started taking second line ART since October 2006 due to the resistance

of first line.

It was really difficult for me to afford Rs.8000/- in a month to buy second line

ART. Somehow I could manage to buy second line ART with the support from family

members and friends as well as from our organization.

Luckily, I met Dr.Chinkholal Thangsing, Asia Pacific Bureau Chief of AIDS

Healthcare Foundation (AHF), who had offered me to provide second line ART for

one year. This organization started giving me free second line ART from this

month. I am really fortunate to come across such a person like Dr.Chinkholal. I

would also like to thank Dr.Chinkholal for providing me second line ART which

NACO could not provide for someone like me who desperately needed this second

line ART to survive.

There are so many people in India who are in need of second line ART and only

few people could afford to buy it. Most of the people who are living with HIV

are poor and they need the help of government and international organization

body.

NACO is still not able to provide the second line ART till now when there are so

many people who are in desperate need of second line ART due to resistance of

first line. Many people are also dying due to the resistance of first line ART.

Now, it is the right time to start free rolls out of second line ART by NACO.

What NACO is waiting for?? Or should we wait to reach the target of 1 lakh

people who are on ART in India??

It is from my personal appeal to all the organization of India who are working

in the field of HIV/AIDS to unite and bring this issue of free rolls out of

second line ART. We need to raise our voice to save other people like me who are

desperately in need of second line ART.

Many more people will be dying if NACO doesn’t provide the second line ART now.

It is high time and the need of the hour to save the lives of people living with

HIV/AIDS.

Thanks,

N.Sunil,

Executive Member, SASO.

e-mail: <sunilimph06@...>