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NAC sets aside US$20 million for ARVs |
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Monday, 30 January 2012 15:57 |
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 The National Aids Council has set aside US$20 million for the procurement of Anti-Retroviral drugs this year, a development which is expected to see more than 1 500 people getting initiated on the free national ARV program.
The non-awarding of Round 10 and the subsequent cancellation of round 11 for HIV/ Aids and TB programs by the Global Fund is threatening to erode the gains achieved by the country in reducing HIV prevalence.
Not anticipating donor fatigue, Zimbabwe last year in April started phasing out the Stavudine drug based first line regimen in favour of the less toxic Tenofovir based regimen which is expensive. National Aids Council Finance Director, Mr. Albert Manenji said various measures are going to be implemented to ensure that the country does not lose the war against Aids adding that NAC has set aside enough funds to buy both first and second line ARV’s.
Zimbabwe adopted the new World Health Organization guidelines that stipulate that a person has to begin taking ARV’s when the CD4 count reaches 350.
This has seen the number of people requiring ARVs increasing.
By December 2011, 463 thousand three hundred and sixty one people were on the free national programme out of an estimated 593 thousand in need according to the National Aids Council 2011 annual report.
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