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Health News of Thursday, 23 July 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

We don’t have shortage of antiretroviral medicines – AIDS Commission

Ghana AIDS Commission Ghana AIDS Commission

The Ghana AIDS Commission has debunked claims of a shortage of anti-retroviral (AVR) medicines in the country.

AVR medications are used to treat HIV infections and also help to develop resistance. It is, therefore, necessary for persons on the drug to constantly take in the medicine as prescribed.

However, according to reports by the Non-State Actors for Health and Development (NSA-Ghana), HIV patients who have visited some health facilities were told that the AVR medicines which comes with no charge was in shortage.

Director-General of Ghana AIDS Commission, Kyeremeh Atuahenehe, has assured persons living with HIV/AIDS that “medicines are now in the system” as a result of the new supplies of anti-retroviral medicines.

In an interview with GhanaWeb, he noted that, “Towards the end of June, stocks were running low. We are refilling the stocks now so there is no cause for alarm. They shouldn’t be too anxious, the medicines are in the system now. If they go to the health facilities they will get medicines now so they shouldn’t worry.”

Notwithstanding, Mr. Kyeremeh Attuahene told GhanaWeb that his outfit encountered challenges with some of the consignment adding that;

“Once we are able to get the money we need for the procurement of the drugs to fill the gaps, we will lift the medicines to Ghana within the shortest possible time and so we have the mechanism I place to ensure that we do not run out of stock”.

“We are doing what we can to ensure that there is no shortage, even when shortages come, we usually arrange emergency drugs to come in and we have done that some few times,” he added.

Mr Kyeremeh Atuahene stressed on the need for all agencies involved in acquiring the “lifesaving drug” to play their roles to ensure that Ghana does not get to the point where there will be no AVRS in the system considering the dire consequences.