Health experts in Jinja District are concerned about the HIV Drug Resistance among HIV/AIDS people
The District Health Officer Dr Dyogo Nantamu reveals that out of 5000 people who are using ARVs, morethan 800 patients are drug ressitant which has hampered the fight against the scourge.
Hence Dr Dyogo is calling for all stakeholders intervention as the country aspires to eliminate HIV/AIDS by 2030
Drug ressistance has been attributed to a number of factors including non disclosure among married couples, and also among teenagers in schools who fear to be mocked by fellow learners which causes inconsistencies in taking ARVs drugs on time.
According to Jinja District Health Officer Dr Dyogo Nantamu out of the 5000 patients using ARVs in Jinja close to 800 have proved to be drug ressitant.
“Nearly 10% of the population is the equivalent of those on ARVs and nearly 15 people of every 100 people that started treatment against HIV are likely to develop some form of resistance which translates to about 800 people of the 5000 who have been started on ARVs”observed Dr Dyogo Nantamu
He also encourages people who start on ARVs always to adhere to treatment, the health boss says sometimes non adherence is caused by fear to disclose to immediate friends or relatives for fear of discrimination.
In a bid to fight HIV drug resistance among HIV infected people, authorities in Jinja have embarked on a campaign to train different stakeholders, during a sensitization meeting of Media practitioners the experts encourage patients always to take their medicine on time since inconsistencies is the major factor for drug resistance.
“Mutations that keep coming causes the virus to continue replicating at the a high speed hence you find that the drugs are not working well”Said Dr Gladys Among Medical officer TASO Jinja.
One of the victims of HIV drug ressitance whose name shall be disclosed confesses that her husband is a born again pastor who is also HIV positive but encourages them to pray for spiritual healing rather than taking drugs.
“He discourages us from taking drugs or going to TASO Jinja for periodical visits and when we take drugs at home he pours our ARVs saying HIV/AIDS doesn’t exist” Betty said
