Ministry of Health to expand access to HIV drugs

Ministry of Health to expand access to HIV drugs

Published on Monday, 24 June 2013 19:11

The Ministry of Health has announced plans to provide antiretroviral treatment to HIV patients in township hopitals and clinics, according to Ministry of Health officials.

The Health Ministry has been provided Antiretroviaral 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 those drugs to 85 percent of patients by 2016.

"Now, 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 drugs providing centers.

We mainly target the HIV infected patients who are suffering from six months or one year to give 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 report about 200,000 people are infected with HIV in Myanmar, and over 120,000 are in need of antirretroviral drugs. Among them, over 50,000 patients have had 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 Organization (WHO). The report says at least 23 people in Myanmar become infected with HIV and 50 die from the disease each day.

Although the Ministry of Health planned to buy ART drugs worth about 300 million Kyats in 2011-2012 fiscal years, it can't purchase the drugs because there was no tender offer. But the ministry has started to distribute HIV test-kits as a part of project for acquiring quality blood at some local hospitals and clinics in the last year. 

The health department has been providing ART drugs to AIV/AIDS patients at Waibargi Hospital in Yangon, Mandalay People's Hospital and four hospitals on the Thai-Myanmar border area since 2005.

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/06/25/ministry-of-health-to-expand-access-to-hiv-drugs/