Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Integrated Regional Information Networks - October 16, 2003
"This training will allow us to have more personnel to follow and care for HIV patients," Dr Valentin Fikouma, the lecturer on infectious diseases, said.
He said the 20 physicians attending the workshop had been instructed on the medical, clinical and biological symptoms of HIV patients and at what stage to prescribe the drugs. Fikouma is one of 12 local physicians authorised by the government to prescribe ARVs. He said he and all the others, as well as the six health facilities authorised to treat HIV/AIDS, were in Bangui.
The newly trained HIV/AIDS physicians will, initially, work with those already authorised to prescribe ARVs. While awaiting government clearance to prescribe ARVs, the physicians will be counselling patients willing to buy ARVs and directing them to the physicians authorised prescribe them.
The workshop was conducted by Bangui University lecturers and senior physicians allowed to prescribe ARVs.
Since September 2002, ARVs had become cheaper in the CAR, dropping from 300,000 francs CFA (US $500) to 22,800 francs for month's supply, the director of government's ARV Easy Access Programme, Dr Bertrand Wata, told IRIN on Wednesday. Yet, he said, they remained too expensive, noting, however, that as a result of the signing early in August of a $25 million five-year agreement between the government and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, they would become much cheaper in a matter of months.
Construction is due to begin before December on a $250,000 Triple Therapy Centre in Bangui and is expected to greatly enhance the treatment of people living with HIV. The CAR is the worst HIV-affected nation in the subregion. A study by the Pasteur Institute in December 2002 revealed that 14.8 percent of the country's 3.5 million people were HIV positive. It indicated that most patients were in rural areas, where there are no physicians authorised to prescribe ARVs.
031016
IR031012
Copyright © 2003 - Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN). Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Integrated Regional Information Network. .
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980 – 2003. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .