antiretroviral rollout
The drugs to control HIV (antiretroviral therapy or ARVs) are becoming more widely available in Africa. People are surviving for longer and parents can care for their children and provide for their families for longer. Pregnant women on antiretroviral therapy are less likely to transmit the virus to their babies. However these drugs are not without hazards and side effects.
ARVs need to be taken at the same time every single day otherwise the virus becomes immune to the medication.
iThemba supports the salaries of people who are trained to explain to patients how they should take their medication, so that they can take the drugs in a meticulous way to ensure they are effective. We also provide the salaries of community support workers who visit people at home to monitor how they are taking their medication on an ongoing basis and help them through some of the side effects they may be experiencing.
Partner project
> Sophumelela Centre, South Africa
Fact: Over one million people in low- and middle-income countries are now living longer and better lives because they are on antiretroviral treatment. In sub-Saharan Africa 790,000 life years were gained since 2002 – the vast majority in the last two years (UNAIDS).
