The HIV drug 'Nevirapine' is widely administered in Africa for HIV 1 treatment. In Nigeria, government Institute of medical research administer this drug to HIV patients with little or no warning on the side affects of this drug. Nevirapine is an antiretroviral drug that reduces viral RNA, preventing the regeneration of HIV virus, but not a cure to the virus. My research on this drug shows that it has being banned in US, and Canada (though, it recall the ban on the drug). The side effect of this drug includes heart and kidney failure, deadly skin infections. The grave side effects of this drug have made many western countries to ban it in the treatment of HIV.
However, the sad news is that this same drug is widely administered freely in treating HIV patients in Nigeria, among other African countries.
Our African governments should be responsible to their citizen by doing what the western governments are putting in place to safeguard their citizens against harmful drugs.
2 comments:
Nevirapine, is a "non-nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor." It prevents "viral replication" by binding "directly to the HIV RT enzyme", thereby disrupting its ability to foster the formation of viral DNA. Despite growing pressure from the South African medical and AIDS activist communities, the government refuses to make available the drug Nevirapine.
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Sally
Influncer
Sallreen, Thanks for your comment. It is true that South Africa government under Thabo Mbeki stopped the administration of retroviral drugs like Nevirapine to HIV/AIDS victims; this has led to the death of over 300,000 HIV/AIDS patients. This is not to rule the fact that many western countries have stopped the use of Nevirapine because of the drug's side effects; which are dangerous to the well being of patience.
Western donors to Africa continent in terms of drugs for HIV treatment now ship this ban drugs instead of more effective and safer drugs.
Africa should do research to screen those drugs its citizens use for treatment. And foreign donors to the African continent should go the whole length in going rather than giving dangerous drugs with grave side effects.
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