Concern as 100,000 on ARV therapy disappear

 

 A staggering number Aids patients who have been put on anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment in Mwanza are not attending clinics in the region for fear of being identified by people that are familiar with them, The Citizen has been informed.

The no-show patients, numbering over 100,000, were among 180,000 receiving ARVs in Mwanza Region, the medical experts said here over the weekend.

Most of the HIV/Aids patients prefer receiving treatment in total secrecy for fear of stigmatisation, say medical doctors.

“We have noted that some of them travel a whole 164km to Shinyanga Region to get their life-saving medication since they don’t want their friends and associates here in Mwanza to know that they are HIV-positive,” said Dr Pius Masele of Bugando Referral Hospital.

His observations were echoed by Dr Moses Ringo and Dr Benjamin Bendera from the Christian Social Services Commission (CSSC).

They dismissed claims that the 100,000 were among those who went for the purported miracle cure administered by retired pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), the Reverend Ambilikile Masapila at Samunge in Loliondo District, Arusha Region, in 2011.

Speaking ahead of the official launch of a five-year Back to Care (B2C) initiative, the regional coordinator of HIV/Aids treatment programme, the experts rejected claims that the 100,000 patients who absconded the therapy were part of millions who had opted for the mugariga “magic cure”.

“The massive rush to Samunge for a purported cure might have played just a minimal role, that doesn’t justify its sole responsibility on making them neglect the vital therapy,” noted Dr Masele.

 The doctor said getting accurate figure on the HIV-positives; the number of those who mare attending ARV therapy and number of deaths, had been a “mission impossible” to the officials and organisations that are engaged in the anti-Aids campaign.

He noted that once fully implemented, the Back to Care initiative would get all information about what happened to over 100,000 patients and where they attend anti-retroviral therapy and related services.

“The B2C project, as it is officially known, targets to track down the over 100,000 HIV-positive men and women and encourage them to resume the ARV therapy. The project would then be able know why they had not reported for the therapy,” said Dr Masele.

Back to Care project, according to Dr Masele, would focus on Nyamagana, Sengerema and Rorya districts, which are said to have the highest Aids prevalence in the Lake Zone.

In retrospect, Mwanza Region has established 89 clinics to conduct the revived ARV therapy and other scientifically approved methods of preventing the killer scourge, according to Dr Bendera, an official from CSSC and the coordinator of the project.

“These clinics have so far done a commendable job in reducing the HIV prevalence by offering effective treatment of Aids-related complications, such as STI, tuberculosis while doing well in prevention of mother-to-child infections,” explained Dr Bendera.

He said studies show that early treatment of venereal diseases helps to reduce Aids infection by 40 per cent while men’s circumcision has proven to offer s a 60per cent-protection to both a man and a woman.

Dr Bendera said at the moment, 86,613 people were enrolled for care and treatment clinics all over the region as of March 2013.

He added that there were 34, 422 clients (patients) receiving the therapy between January and March this year.

“The number of people who take anti-retroviral therapy in the region by March this year, reached 27,656 which is 59 per cent of 46,740 people who were started the therapy,” noted Dr Ringo.

Established in 1992, the Christian Social Service Commission of Tanzania (CSSC) has been supporting delivery of social services to improve communities’ quality of life and reduce poverty.

“CSSC aims to improve quality, accessibility, and availability of health services in Tanzania through public private partnerships and institutional development, capacity building, and lobbying and advocacy,” added Dr Ringo.

In collaboration with various government and non-governmental partners, CCSC coordinates the implementation of various health and education projects such as HIV/Aids and tuberculosis programmes with the Global Fund to fight Aids, tuberculosis and Malaria.