Aids drugs sold on black market

anisations said unless the drugs, in particular antiretroviral drugs, are made available on demand, measures against illegal markets would be almost impossible.
The executive director for Southern Africa HIV/Aids Information Dissemination Service (Safaids), Lois Chingandu, said the demand for antiretroviral drugs was outweighing supply.
Close to 300 000 people need drugs, yet only 80 000 people have access to drugs, said Chingandu
“Those who are sick are the ones buying these drugs because they are desperate to get well. Most of them do not fully understand the implications of taking these drugs and the risks associated with them in the event of stopping them.”
Medical practitioners said people could not afford the prices being in the formal market.
“The drugs are very expensive to buy, while the government programme also involves expenses of travelling to and from the point of collection. As a result, when people come across someone who can sell them the drugs at a lower cost, they just rush for the drugs with little or no thought,” said Dr Amon Sivese.
Investigations last week revealed that some of the street traders are using pharmaceutical licenses to import the drugs.
The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe last week issued a stern warning that drugs bought on the streets may be dangerous.
“This is a dangerous practice because the medicines may have been subjected to inappropriate and hazardous storage conditions, thus affecting the quality and effectiveness of the medicine. Such medicines may be counterfeited (fake), adulterated and contaminated, rendering them ineffective and sometimes dangerous.” – CAJ News