What to tell the patients?
- By Aymeric Péguillan
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail
China.org.cn, December 2, 2011
Enormous challenges for patients
It would be too easy to allow these challenges to fall by the wayside of this cowardly denial. Many countries, mostly situated in Sub-Saharan Africa, are currently attempting to implement health care systems adapted to the needs of patients infected with HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. There is no doubt that despite the present difficulties and fragile Ministry of Health management systems, a political will has been established to battle head-on the three major epidemics in seriously affected countries. But even if the political will is there, it remains clear that these states are, at present, unable to lead the battle alone to bear the financial costs associated with implementing such ambitious, yet effective, strategies. It is perfectly legitimate and expected that they rely on such mechanisms as the Global Fund to achieve these goals and give hope to millions of people to lead healthy and productive lives.
The cancellation of Round 11 has brought to a halt the positive momentum that spread across the community of patients and caregivers worldwide. In countries such as Swaziland, HIV prevalence is at record levels (26% of the adult population), and health actors are working hard to stem the epidemic in difficult economic conditions; quite simply if pledges to the Global Fund are not met, there are tens of thousands of lives at stake. The financial disengagement of major donors will have considerable impact on the patients currently under treatment, part of which therefore is suddenly deprived. Additionally, those who are eligible and waiting for their treatment to begin will be sent home for lack of available drugs.
In Swaziland, where almost 68,000 people are on treatment, medication shortages will be felt in 2012. In Mozambique, a neighboring country with 240,000 people on ARVs and the same amount waiting to begin treatment, the ax will fall even sooner for many of them.
This will signify a return to the beginning of the year 2000, when caregivers had to chose which of their patients had the greater chance to survive. A choice that is totally unacceptable and inconceivable in 2011. Who will explain to all of these patients that they can no longer be treated?
Aymeric Péguillan is Head of Mission with Médecins Sans Frontières in Swaziland.
The funds from the different Rounds of the Global Fund serve as annual allowances allocated to countries who have requested support for their national programs on the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)