Zambia assures stable HIV drug supply despite US funding halt

Lusaka, Feb 7 (IANS) The Zambian government has assured the public of a stable supply of life-saving HIV drugs despite the decision by the US government, the major supplier, to halt the supply.

The Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency, a government agency responsible for the procurement, storage and distribution of medicines and medical supplies, said there are sufficient antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to meet the needs of all patients nationwide.

“There is no cause for concern, as supply continuity is assured. As of today, our current ARV stock levels are sufficient to last until June 2025,” Bradley Chingobe, the agency’s senior manager for corporate communications, said in a statement.

He said that the central warehouse and seven regional hubs are well-stocked to ensure the availability of first-line, second-line and third-line ARV regimens for all patients requiring treatment.

According to him, the agency remains committed to its structured nationwide distribution network covering 3,500 health facilities.

The US government announced a 90-day suspension of funding for international development programmes, including those in Zambia, on January 20, 2025, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the Ministry of Health, as of September 30, 2023, Zambia had an estimated 1.5 million individuals living with HIV, with almost 1.3 million of them on antiretroviral therapy.

On February 6, Botswana rolled out stopgap measures to support patients affected by the closure of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that had been providing both prevention and treatment services related to HIV/AIDS due to the suspension of US foreign aid.

Christopher Nyanga, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, said on Thursday that every effort would be made to ensure these services continued as before.

“Fortunately, in some cases, some of these partners had been providing services within public health facilities,” Nyanga said, adding that it was unknown how long the CSOs and NGOs would remain closed.

The ministry advised the public and all clients who had been receiving services from these CSOs and NGOs to seek services from the nearest public health facilities, he added.

–IANS

int/jk/as