Ministry of Health to expand access to HIV drugs
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The Ministry of Health has announced plans to provide antiretroviral treatment to HIV patients in township hospitals and clinics.
The Health Ministry has been providing antiretroviral therapy (ART) drugs to over 2,000 patients since 2005. By joining hands with local and foreign organisations it expects to expand the availability of ART to 85 per cent of patients by 2016.
“Township-level hospitals and clinics will provide ART drugs to the patients starting from July this year. The hospitals and clinics will be designated as ART drug-providing centres.
“We will mainly target HIV-infected patients who have been suffering symptoms for the past six months to a year, giving them access to the drugs in their respective health departments,” said Dr Htun Nyunt Oo, from the HIV/STD Combating Project.
According to a recent UN report, Myanmar has an estimated 200,000 HIV cases, and over 120,000 are in need of antiretroviral drugs. Among them, over 50,000 patients already have access to the ART drugs, the Health Department reported.
The report, titled “HIV Estimates and Projections Asian Epidemiological Model Myanmar 2010-2015”, was published by the Myanmar Health Department, UNAIDS and World Health Organisation (WHO). It says that at least 23 people per day are infected with HIV/Aids in Myanmar, while 50 die from the disease each day.
The Ministry of Health had planned to buy ART drugs worth about 300 million kyats (Bt9.6 million) in the 2011-2012 fiscal year, but the deal had to be scrapped when no tender was offered. However, in the last year the ministry has begun distributing HIV test-kits as a part of project for acquiring blood for transfusion at some local hospitals and clinics.
The health department has been providing ART drugs to HIV/Aids patients at Waibargi Hospital in Yangon, Mandalay People’s Hospital and four hospitals on the Thai-Myanmar border area since 2005.
