Only 16 000 use HIV drugs

WINDHOEK – Only about 16 000 of the more than 200 000 people living with HIV in Namibia are receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART).

The Country Director of the United States’ Centre for Disease Control, Dr Tom Kenyon, told a public meeting here at the weekend that about 210 000 people had been diagnosed with the virus in Namibia. Kenyon said only about 16 000 of these people were getting the life-prolonging drug treatment.According to him, 53 000 people have full-blown AIDS while the other 157 000 are HIV positive with only minor symptoms of the disease.Kenyon said most of the affected people were women, but this could be because men tended not to go for voluntary counselling and testing (VCT).He challenged men to change their attitude towards VCT so that they could know their status, saying that was the only way of getting help for themselves and their families.Kenyon said it was a relief to observe that about 1,6 million people in the country out of a population of about 1,8 million were not HIV positive.”The challenge is to ensure that the 1,6 million people continue to be negative and that those who are already positive should have their lives prolonged,” he said.He said it was important that people who were sexually active changed their behaviour by painstakingly adhering to the rule of ABC – abstinence, being faithful and using condoms.Kenyon said the HIV-AIDS pandemic called for the concerted efforts of all people, as Government alone could not surmount it.There was a need for the private sector, employers, Government and any other individuals and organisations to be involved, he said.- NampaKenyon said only about 16 000 of these people were getting the life-prolonging drug treatment.According to him, 53 000 people have full-blown AIDS while the other 157 000 are HIV positive with only minor symptoms of the disease.Kenyon said most of the affected people were women, but this could be because men tended not to go for voluntary counselling and testing (VCT).He challenged men to change their attitude towards VCT so that they could know their status, saying that was the only way of getting help for themselves and their families.Kenyon said it was a relief to observe that about 1,6 million people in the country out of a population of about 1,8 million were not HIV positive.”The challenge is to ensure that the 1,6 million people continue to be negative and that those who are already positive should have their lives prolonged,” he said.He said it was important that people who were sexually active changed their behaviour by painstakingly adhering to the rule of ABC – abstinence, being faithful and using condoms.Kenyon said the HIV-AIDS pandemic called for the concerted efforts of all people, as Government alone could not surmount it.There was a need for the private sector, employers, Government and any other individuals and organisations to be involved, he said.- Nampa