Fake ARVs on sale

HIV/AIDS organisations in Zimbabwe's second city of Bulawayo have warned people to be on the lookout for individuals selling fake antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Doctors have been shown ARV capsules filled with maizemeal, bought by unsuspecting members of the public at prices far lower than the market rate. This is raising concerns that the HI virus will develop resistance to anti-AIDS medication, endangering the lives of HIV-positive people. According to Median Dube, an outreach officer with the Matabeleland AIDS Council (MAC), fake ARVS are available at concessionary prices at flea markets around the city. He said information gathered during interviews with clients suggested the illegal trade in this medication was expanding, and blamed the problem on the lack of ARVs in the public health sector. "The limited availability of ARVs at public health institutions, combined with the people's desperation for treatment, fuels this business. If all drugs could at least be available and accessible, there would be no place for such merchants of death," Dube told PlusNews. Deputy Health Minister Edwin Muguti told PlusNews he had heard of the reports but the ministry had yet to investigate.