Kathmandu, November 30:

Even though the government is saying that it can provide Anti-Retro Viral Therapy (ARVT) to at least 1,000 patients, it has not been able to track down patients, who have stopped using ARVT.

The government has been providing Anti-Retro Viral (ARV) drugs for the last two years, but many patients have not been able to avail themselves of it due to lack of accessibility and abject poverty.

According to official data, 70 out of 483 patients have stopped availing themselves of Anti-Retro Viral drugs.

Some of the people who have stopped taking drugs are presumed dead.

Sixteen out of 327 patients, who were taking ARV drugs from the Sukraraj Tropical Disease Centre (STDC), are lost.

“As the discontinuation of ARV drugs may mean death of patients, a proper mechanism is needed to track down the patients who have stopped availing themselves of ARV drugs,” said Rajiv Kafle, president of the Nava Kiran Plus. He stressed the need to give continuity to the ARVT.

“There are other obstacles that need to be removed,” he said, adding: “Providing free treatment is not enough.”

According to an estimate, 70,259 people are living with HIV in Nepal.

According to the National Centre for AIDS and STD Control/ Family Health International, only 8,073 cases of HIV/AIDS were reported as of October 2006.

Out of total estimated HIV/AIDS cases, 10 to 12 per cent of HIV/AIDS patients are in urgent need of treatment, says the World Health Organisation.

According to the NCASC, 300 to 500 people die of AIDS in Nepal every year.

The government has seven centres for providing the ARVT. One community centre also provides the ARVT.

Only ARV drugs are provided for free. The comprehensive ARVT does not come for free.

Diagnostic tests, proper nutrition, treatment for opportunist infection, and much expensive treatment for central nervous system infection do not come for free.

“District hospitals should have Voluntary Counselling and Testing centres so that more people can visit for tests,” said Kafle.

“The government should make sure that there is a constant supply of anti-retroviral drugs. The patients, too, should not discontinue treatment at any cost,” said Dr Sushil Shakya, a physician at the STDC. Dr Rajendra Panta, the acting director at the NCASC, said: “The comprehensive ARVT is very costly.”