Dominican Republic borrows AIDS drugs from Haiti

posted on: Oct 18 2009 10:8 by The Reporter. Viewed 745 times.


Recent reports that there was a shortage of AIDS treatment drugs in the Dominican Republic  were denied last week by the Presidential AIDS Commission (Copresida), and the Minister of Public Health, Bautista Rojas Gomez. They also deny that that the health authorities did not have the funds to purchase the medications.

Yet, Dulce Almonte, director of the Dominican Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (Redovih), says that the Dominican Government hasresorted to borrowing AIDS drugs from Haiti.

"We know that an application was made for a loan from the Haitian authorities, through PAHO (Pan American Health Organization)", she said, pointing out that of 1000 patients only 100 have received their doses. It is thought that of the 25,117 people registered as affected by HIV/AIDS, around 10,000 are not receiving their anti-viral medications or their CD4 laboratory exams. The concern, says Dulce is that medication treatment is not interrupted, and is calling for HIV/AIDS patients to be included in the Social Security program.National Social Security Council director, Max Puig says he is working towards this goal.

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