Dar es Salaam: The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW)
should identify and phase out all ARVs that are causing serious side
effects to people living with HIV & AIDS in the country while adequate
education should be provided for proper use of these drugs to patients
to minimize the problem, a press statement issued by SIKIKA has said.
Cases of people suffering serious body deformities allegedly after
using ARVs have been increasing in the country. Recently, the media
reported a sad case, which occurred in Mtwara region whereby, a man
who is living with HIV & AIDS experienced a body transformation where
he began developing breasts like a woman as a result of ARV use. When
he reported the case to the doctor, he was told that is a normal
reaction to people who have been on ARV medication for a long period
of time.
Sikika discovered that although people living with HIV (PLHIV) have
reported the side effects they get as a result of ARV use, still some
of the health service providers have not taken any action, such as
changing of the ARV’s for the PLHIV, or considering any other types of
treatment.
Interviews (conducted by Sikika) with ARV users and healthcare
providers revealed that some of the side effects encountered by
patients as a result of ARV use include; loss of body weight,
weariness of the body, numbness of the hands and legs, body rashes,
nails becoming dark colored and even the transformation of body parts
after the use of the drugs. It has also been noted that it may take up
to six months before a new dosage is prescribed to them from the
moment they report the side effects experienced as a result of ARV
use. In most cases, when the PLHIV report the side effects they
experience as a result of these drugs, and the answer they get is
that, the side effects are a normal reaction and that they will
disappear.
Sikika has also discovered that most of the Care and Treatment Centers
(CTCs) do not have CD4 count machines. This equipment is important as
it makes it easy to know the health progress of a patient, what type
of counseling needs to be done and the type of medication that needs
to be prescribed to the PLHIV. This problem has been persistent
especially in the rural areas where PLHIV are forced to walk long
distances to get checked up for their CD4 count. This issue has been
evident in the districts of Kondoa and Mpwapwa where some health care
facilities do not have CD4 count machines. The facilities are Kisese,
Hamai, Sondolo, Busi and Kwamtoro in Kondoa district and Kibwake,
Rudi, Mima and Pwaga in Mpwapwa district. The absence of this
equipment contributes to the PLHIV having to continue using medication
which may not be proper considering the number of CD4s in their body
Sikika recommends that serious action be taken to persuade health
service providers to adhere to their professional ethics and must
swiftly address the problem of ARVs side effects as soon as they
receive complaints. The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare should
also be responsible and assist the victims to alleviate their
suffering.
PLHIV must follow doctors’ prescriptions without faltering to avoid
such incidences. At the same time Sikika urges the government to make
sure that ARVs are readily available to patients when needed as
failure to access the drugs leads to faltering.
Furthermore, the government should provide CD4 count machines to
counseling and testing centres (CTCs) that are operating without the
machines, and make sure that machines that are out of order are
repaired to avoid and reduce such cases.