Hundreds of protesters took to the street in Mozambique's capital Monday to protest health ministry policies that they say are jeopardizing HIV care in one of the world's worst affected countries.
The protesters marched to the health ministry, where they handed a letter to minister Ivo Garrido demanding better treatment and more privacy for patients with HIV, which affects 16 percent of adult Mozambicans.
AIDS / HIV - Treatment
Encyclopedia section of medindia explains in brief about the treatment for AIDS/HIV
Advertisement
Health authorities closed specialised HIV centres this year, blending treatment into the broader healthcare system, saying that the separate centres contributed to stigma surrounding the disease.
But activists say the closures were followed by a dramatic drop in patients seeking treatment.
HIV patients have special green health insurance cards that immediately reveal their status to other patients in general clinics, the activists argue.
![High HIV Incidence Heightens Mozambique Poverty: UN Envoy]( "High HIV Incidence Heightens Mozambique Poverty: UN Envoy")
The spread of HIV in Mozambique has hit the economy and is heightening poverty, the United Nations chief representative in the country said on Friday.
"Due to the decision of closing the (day hospitals), there are more and more people who abandon the treatment; the number of deaths are increasing; the compliance to the treatment is decreasing; discrimination against people affected by HIV/Aids is dramatically increasing," march organisers said in a statement.
Christian Reed, a medical anthropologist studying HIV treatment in Mozambique, said the number of patients seeking treatment in Pemba, in the north, dropped from about 50 to three or four a day after the local day hospital closed.
"The ones who don't want their families to know are not coming," Reed said.
"Access to services is more difficult now," Reed added. "Where you used to have a hospital full of HIV specialists ... now everybody's mixed together."
Health authorities announced the closure of the day hospitals in February.
Non-governmental organisation workers say the move was also meant to free up a ratio of one doctor for every 23,000 people.
Source: AFP
LIN
HIV patients have special green health insurance cards that immediately reveal their status to other patients in general clinics, the activists argue.
High HIV Incidence Heightens Mozambique Poverty: UN Envoy
The spread of HIV in Mozambique has hit the economy and is heightening poverty, the United Nations chief representative in the country said on Friday.
Advertisement
"Due to the decision of closing the (day hospitals), there are more and more people who abandon the treatment; the number of deaths are increasing; the compliance to the treatment is decreasing; discrimination against people affected by HIV/Aids is dramatically increasing," march organisers said in a statement.
Christian Reed, a medical anthropologist studying HIV treatment in Mozambique, said the number of patients seeking treatment in Pemba, in the north, dropped from about 50 to three or four a day after the local day hospital closed.
"The ones who don't want their families to know are not coming," Reed said.
"Access to services is more difficult now," Reed added. "Where you used to have a hospital full of HIV specialists ... now everybody's mixed together."
Health authorities announced the closure of the day hospitals in February.
Non-governmental organisation workers say the move was also meant to free up a ratio of one doctor for every 23,000 people.
Source: AFP
LIN
New AIDS Battle Plan Needed in Africa: Experts
A new battle plan for fighting AIDS is needed in sub-Saharan Africa, the world's hardest-hit region, where most people with the possible deadly virus are unaware of their condition,
Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest AIDS/HIV News
The Phase 1 trial for a preventive HIV vaccine candidate has initiated enrollment in both the United States and South Africa.
In the United States, African American women make up only 26% of female PrEP users, yet they account for 57% of new infections among women.
Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the fight against HIV/AIDS with the successful resolution of the enigmatic immune-evading HIV protein complex.
Tailored quit-smoking programs are designed to address the risks associated with comorbidity in individuals living with HIV.
DNA editing tool CRISPR-Cas13 helps diagnose and signal the presence of HIV antibodies in HIV patients.
