20% of HIV patients in Myanmar drug-resistant: MSF
Some of those suffering from HIV in Myanmar under the care of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) are being treated with second stage antiretroviral therapy (ART) as they are found to be resistant to the first stage.
There are 32,058 adult patients aged 19 and above and 1,807 teenagers aged between 10 and 18 who take ART. Among them, 6 per cent of the adult patients and 16 per cent of the teenage patients are taking the second stage ART, according to MSF.
"The reason the HIV patients become drug resistant is that they do not take regular doses. The failure to take the medicine regularly has consequences. For example, they may suffer from tuberculosis. This is why we give them consultations depending on their age. We ask them why they fail and encourage them to take their medicine regularly. If they become resistant to the first stage drug, they will have to take the second stage drug, which is more expensive," said a representative from the Thakayta MSF clinic in Yangon.
According to the Public Health Department, more than 7,000 adults in the country are infected with HIV every year. That means that about 19 people are infected with the virus every day.
There are an estimated 200,000 HIV patients aged 15 and above and more than 100,000 of them are being treated with ART. The HIV infection rate among over-15s is about 0.49 per cent. Most cases happen among drug addicts, homosexuals and sex workers. About 32 per cent are infected after injecting heroin, according to Myanmar's submission to the global Aids report 2015.
UNAids issued a declaration on World Aids Day last year promising that HIV patients in Myanmar would enjoy full health-care services, including HIV drugs.