Associations, rights defenders and patients with HIV in Mexico, ensures that there is still risk of possible shortages of antiretroviral drugs at national level, as a result of the new mechanism for the purchase of medicines implemented by the Government of Mexico.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation Mexico (AHF Mexico), International Association that provides treatment and advocacy to people with HIV AIDS, sent a letter to the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, where explains the current situation of supply of medication, and requested his immediate care for affected patients.
Read: HIV AIDS patients warn about lack of medicines; Health ensures that we must supply sufficient
In his letter, the AHF Mexico reports that the outpatient centres for the prevention and care of AIDS and STDs (Capasits), in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, report that since 25 March 2019 “do not have 20 of the 26 drugs that is d” “treatment to patients”.
The AHF points out that this situation occurs despite the information provided by the Federal Ministry of health last April 17, when the National Center for the prevention and Control of HIV / AIDS (Censida), said that the delivery of antiretroviral drugs was “guaranteed to the ma s 97 thousand patients treated in units of the Ministry of health”.
The Censida also stated that it expected supply enough drugs and that the process of purchasing these for 2019, had not affected staffing in the Capasits of the country.
Until that day, they added, the staff in charge of the Censida WhatsApp line, had not received a single complaint for lack of these drugs.
Read: Censida stops publication of call for subsidizing NGOs working against HIV
“Despite claims made by Censida, civil society organizations engaged in the defence of the rights of people with HIV have documented shortage of antiretrovirals in Tabasco, Oaxaca, Chihuahua and Tamaulipas,” explains the AHF.
Against this background the Organization expected that not addressed, the situation can be replicated in other entities.
“We also call to the President of the Republic so require the Secretary of Health Federal let you hide the shortage and take the necessary measures so that patients receive timely anti-retroviral treatment,” concludes AHF in his letter.
The AHF also makes recommendations for patients filed a complaint before the CNDH in case of not receiving treatment.
These are the steps that you must follow before the national human rights Commission (NHRC) to raise your complaint if you did not receive your ARV treatment. pic.twitter.com/F9vNqRicdi
-AHF Mexico #AHFMX (@ahf_mx) April 29, 2019
Vowels of Conasida confirm situation
The titular members of the National Council for the prevention and control of AIDS (Conasida), also sent a letter to the National President, confirming the shortages of medicines.
“Since you announced that the Ministry of finance and public credit would be responsible for buying the drugs, the process that was previously in charge of the Conasida has hampered ignorance on part anti-retroviral treatments for people who” they are currently purchasing”, reads the document.
They explain that information on stocks of medicines in pharmacies for care of persons with HIV, access to which is public, shows a “dramatic” decrease in inventories.
Read: It is discriminatory that the IMSS requires HIV testing as requirement for hiring doctors says the Supreme Court
“In some cases reserves only will help meet the demand for four weeks, in others, the drugs available will only reach for a week”, they added.
According to the members, the fact that until today have not bought drugs, is about to cause the widespread shortages of anti-retroviral drugs to more than 97 thousand people.
“The interruption of treatments will lead to therapeutic failure, which long term will represent high social for populations already costs itself are found in conditions of vulnerability”, pose.
They requested that purchases be made soon as possible because otherwise, they and those affected, they will use “all the legal measures which gives the Constitution to guarantee the supply of antiretrovirals for people living with HIV”.
In an interview for Political animal, Professor Luis Adrián Quiroz, one of the signatory members of this letter, explained that Tamaulipas is the most affected entity, the confirmed already around 50 patients who have not received treatment as a result of the shortages in the Capasits.
“In some of the States also mentioned there are a high number of cases, but those affected do not dare denounce publicly because they are people who prefer to maintain anonymity his condition of patients with HIV,” ended.
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