Zambian PLHIV Petition Minister of Health. 30/1/11
Two week ARV supply impacts negatively for HIV patients that cover long distances to ART centers.
30 January 2011
People living with HIV (PLHIV) have petitioned the Zambian Minister of Health, Kapembwa Simbao, over the rationing of ARVs and TB drugs in public clinics.
A total of 200 people living with HIV drawn from different civil society organizations, namely The Network of Zambian people living with HIV (NZP+), Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign (TALC), Network of ARV users and the Zambia National ARV Support Programme (ZNARVS), attended the meeting at Kara Counseling Hope House in Lusaka Villa Ellizabetha area on 27th January 2011.
Speaking at the meeting Mr. Felix Mwanza, TALC Country Coordinator, challenged the Government to Justfy the reason why people living with HIV and those on TB are being given ARV's to cover for a period of only two weeks, he said the trend has impacted negatively for HIV patients that cover long distances to ART centers.
Mr. Mwanza further said that in November 2010, the World Health Organization WHO and Global Fund had issued an early warning that countries needed to order the ARV drugs early because their was going to be an emminet drug shortage that was to be experienced.
He cited lack of proper procurement system and corruption in the health sector and the recent misapplication of funds by Civil Society Principal Receipients in Zambia, as the reason why the country is experiencing drug shortages. He further called for the dissolutiuon of the Country Coordinating Mechanism CCM which suppervises the operation of Principal Receipients of Global Funds in Zambia, becouse it had failed PLHIV and the Country as whole.
PLHIV present at the meeting proposed that they become Principal Receipients of HIV/AIDS funds, because they are the one that should take care their own interest. Mr. Mwanza advised the Ministry of Health to make sure that proper systems are put in place so that Zambia does not experience mismanagement of HIV/AIDS funds in the round 10 successful bid. He pointed out that the approval of round 10 was as a result of lobbying made to the international community by people living with HIV and Civil Society Organizations concerned.
Mr. Mwanza said it was ridiculous and an insult to PLHIV for ZNAN's Executive Director Mrs. Elizabeth Mataka to say that ZNAN is yet to identify a credible partner organization dealing with PLHIV in Zambia that has the capacity and proper organizational systems to effectively handle Global Fund money.
And NZP+ Lusaka District Chapter Coordinator, Simon Mwewa, said that PLHIV are not being given adequate funds to implement HIV programmes. He said NZP+ Lusaka District had recently submitted a proposal with a budget of over 100 million kwacha to AFRICARE a sub-recipient of HIV / AIDS money and only 8 million was approved.
Zambia, with a population of 13 million, has an estimated 350,000 people living with HIV currently on antiretroviral drugs