Anti-retrovirals should be accessible to all - Dr. Monyamane

There is a need to ensure access of antiretroviral treatment to all HIV/AIDS positive persons because there is no other alternative to these life saving drugs in the treatment of the disease, according to leading medical practitioner, Dr. 'Molotsi Monyamane.

Presenting a paper on the medical facts of the virus at a three-day workshop on HIV/AIDS Counseling on January 19, facilitator Dr. Monyamane said antiretroviral treatment is effective  for patients with full blown AIDS, although it only works if taken regularly.  

Dr. Monyamane said the drugs alone will not relieve AIDS unless a patient eats a balanced diet, engages in regular physical exercise and, receives counseling and support from family, church, community and at the
work place.

He said the drug has now become cheap, available at far less than the previous M6,000 per month-dose and at a more reasonable M300 monthly dose. Patients should however, not take antiretrovirals before they know their status. Even those who know their status should not take them before testing their immune system (CD 4 count).

"If the patient's CD 4 count is above 500, the immune system is regarded as normal and there is no need to take any special drugs," he said. It is only patients with a less that 200 CD 4 count who should be allowed to take antiretrovirals because at this stage the virus has destroyed the immune system and a patient is now susceptible to attack by a multiple deadly diseases.

Dr. Monyamane revealed that so far the country has only one machine to measure CD 4 count, at the Mapoteng hospital in Berea and that there were plans to introduce another at the Queen Elizabeth II hospital in Maseru. He however, appealed to health workers not to deny patients treatment because
there is no CD 4 counts test. Health workers can prescribe drugs looking at the patient's health record and type of sicknesses.

Taking the drugs regularly will help revitalise the body and conversely the CD 4 count. Patients should not to stop taking treatment even if their immunity has improved, he said, encouraging people to test their HIV status in order to remain healthy and live longer.

The workshop was organized by the Ministry of Trade and was intended to train HIV/AIDS counselors from different ministries. It was funded jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Lesotho. 

19 January 2004