THE National AIDS Council (NAC) has allayed fears of a reported looming shortage of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, saying it had purchased enough ARVs for the next two years.
Report by Kupakwashe Makonye
NAC communications director Medline Dube told journalists on Thursday that two truckloads of drugs had been brought into the country to make sure a constant supply of drugs was availed to those in need.
Dube refuted allegations by Health ministry Aids and TB director Owen Mugurungi that the country was left with enough ARVs for just two months, largely attributing the crisis to a government partner in the programme, the Global Fund, which has not yet made funds available.
“Of course the other partner has a large contribution to the procurement of the drugs, but we always make sure the drug stock does not get depleted. We have already mobilised resources for anti-retroviral treatment for this year and next year,” Dube said.
“50% of NAC funding goes to the procurement of drugs and our duty is to make sure that we have enough stocks for our patients,” said Dube.
On Monday last week Mugurungi raised national fears when he told a parliamentary thematic committee on HIV and Aids that the country was left with only two months’ supply of ARVs.
He said the situation had been worsened by the fact that the government’s main partner in the programme, Global Fund, was yet to fulfill its obligation.
