The country’s local Chipembere Community Organization (CCO) Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) defaulter’s project is said to be making head way in the tea growing district of Thyolo.

The development comes as ARV defaulters have started resuming their daily drug uptake whose health conditions were deteriorating.

Food shortage is contributing to low uptake of ARV for the people living with HIV where cases of ARV defaulters have increases especially in rural areas as women abandon their homes in search for food.

But through Chipembere ART defaulters tracing project, absconding cases the drugs have gone down as many are embracing the initiative since its inception few years ago.

The project is being implemented at Morere and Thekerani with expectation to reach directly 5,000 women, 8000 children and 26,000 others indirectly.

Speaking in an interview with one of the defaulters, Rita Mtepule, not her real name confessed that desertion of ARTs was due to the pastor message that only prayers heals.

Mtepula said that she then threw the medicines in a pit latrine because she believed what the pastor told her.

She added following the decision to desert the drug she started experiencing some changes in her body coupled with health deteriorating.

“The Chipembere intervention initiative compelled me to resume retaking drugs as my health status stared deteriorating. I’m urging other defaulters to restart taking the medicine”, appeals Mtepula.

Concurring with Mtepula Health Surveillance Assistant of the area Andy Kapondeza said the initiative has completely change people lives on partaking of the prolong live saving drugs.

Kapondeza disclosed that the health centre in conjunction with Chipembere will intensify awareness campaign on effects of defaulting drugs saying this will be done through counseling.

He lauded the project for enabling children to live comfortably as are able to share experiences with other on how best to sustain partaking drugs.

Project Officer for Chipembere Shora Kauluka expressed gratitude over response the initiative is getting from the community assuring that his organization will continue providing counseling services.

Kauluka said the organization will work on all factors that are contributing to defaulting drugs that those involved be provided with care and support.

According to UNICEF, Malawi has a national HIV prevalence rate of 10% which is still the highest in the world as about 1 million of the country’s population are living with HIV and 48,000 died from HIV-related illnesses in 2013.

Records shows that an estimated 10, 000 children died from HIV-related illnesses in 2014 and only 49% were on treatment though vertical transmission of the pandemic has decreased significantly, HIV-infection and HIV-related mortality in children remain unacceptable high and improving pediatric uptake of ARV requires early diagnosis of HIV-exposed infants.

ireporter : Precious Mtuwa