ART treatments interrupted

THE Solidarity Community Care Organisation (SCCO) has launched an urgent plea for attention to be given to HIV-positive people in flood-stricken northern areas of the country.

The community organisation said in a statement at the weekend that it feared that HIV-positive people receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART) might not be able to get their medicines because health facilities were now inaccessible. Follow-up visits and treatment appointments were also being hindered by the flood situation, Chairperson Hishiyukifa Mwandingi said.”We are therefore calling upon all HIV-positive people, especially those on ARTs in the affected regions, to take responsibility for their treatment by keeping to their appointments and adhering to their treatment at all times.Those who are strong must assist the weaker ones to reach health facilities,” the SCCO urged.It also called on community caregivers in the Ohangwena and Oshana regions to do all they could to ensure that all the people they dealt with stuck to their treatment.The organisation expressed appreciation for the efforts made by national and regional health authorities to minimise health problems in the affected regions.Follow-up visits and treatment appointments were also being hindered by the flood situation, Chairperson Hishiyukifa Mwandingi said.”We are therefore calling upon all HIV-positive people, especially those on ARTs in the affected regions, to take responsibility for their treatment by keeping to their appointments and adhering to their treatment at all times.Those who are strong must assist the weaker ones to reach health facilities,” the SCCO urged.It also called on community caregivers in the Ohangwena and Oshana regions to do all they could to ensure that all the people they dealt with stuck to their treatment.The organisation expressed appreciation for the efforts made by national and regional health authorities to minimise health problems in the affected regions.