Eyewitness News reports that concern is mounting that the government has not ordered
enough of a new single-fixed dose anti-retroviral pill due to be rolled out soon.
The new fixed-dosed pill, to be rolled out in the next two
weeks, combines three drugs into one.
This will mean HIV+ patients only have to
take one pill and not nine separate drugs. Initially it will be rolled out to
all HIV+ pregnant women and other priority cases in a programme costing almost
R6 million.
However. Francesca Conradie of South Africa’s HIV Clinicians
Society says there is very good reason for concern. According to her not enough
of the drug has been ordered yet and
there are already shortages of the current drugs available in both the Eastern
Cape and Gauteng.
She adds that the lack of an effective computerised system untrained
staff are making the situation worse.
Source: Eyewitness News
Health24
