- Joined
- Jan 23, 2013
- Messages
- 30,608
Malawi: HIV Drugs Misused to 'Fatten' Chickens and Ferment Malawi Gin
By Owen Nyaka
People in Malawi are buying life-saving antiretroviral drugs meant for people living with HIV, and misusing them to brew gin as well as fattening livestock.
Some brewers who are fermenting maize husks in the antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to produce a traditional gin known as 'kachasu' claim the resulting gin is very strong and matures quickly.
There are also some small-scale commercial chicken and pig farmers misusing ARVs, adding them to broiler feed believing it will enhance weight gain so they can sell them quicker.
The farmers' activity has resulted from their observations made of people living with HIV who gain weight as their health improves once they are on the medication.
The appalling revelations were made in Malawi's Weekend Nation newspaper report of 16 August and it is believed that some people were arrested as a result.
According to the paper, one bottle of gin is selling at Malawi Kwacha 3,500 (US$8.40) and business is brisk in the southern region districts of Thyolo and Mulanje which have the highest numbers of people living with HIV.
Civil society reaction
John Kapito, renowned human rights activist and executive director of the Consumer Association of Malawi (CAMA), described the misuse as worrisome and disappointing.
"This is very unfortunate. Apart from threatening people's lives, it also shows that there is a breakdown in the security of drugs in our hospitals," said Kapito.
He called upon the government to empower communities to ensure hospital staff do not abuse their positions and misuse government resources.
An audit of Global Fund grants to Malawi by the Office of Inspector General in 2010 identified US$3.9 million in ineligible and unsupported expenditure. The country has been refunding the Global Fund since 2012 with US$500,000 paid in October 2012, and a further US$937,905 in April 2013. This has negatively affected the national response to HIV, particularly in terms of scaling up prevention and treatment.
Kapito said: "It is surprising that at a time when the country is experiencing drug shortages, someone is selling the little that we have. What message are these people sending out there?
continued here http://allafrica.com/stories/201409031473.html
................................................................................................................................
Africa is a unique place
By Owen Nyaka
People in Malawi are buying life-saving antiretroviral drugs meant for people living with HIV, and misusing them to brew gin as well as fattening livestock.
Some brewers who are fermenting maize husks in the antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to produce a traditional gin known as 'kachasu' claim the resulting gin is very strong and matures quickly.
There are also some small-scale commercial chicken and pig farmers misusing ARVs, adding them to broiler feed believing it will enhance weight gain so they can sell them quicker.
The farmers' activity has resulted from their observations made of people living with HIV who gain weight as their health improves once they are on the medication.
The appalling revelations were made in Malawi's Weekend Nation newspaper report of 16 August and it is believed that some people were arrested as a result.
According to the paper, one bottle of gin is selling at Malawi Kwacha 3,500 (US$8.40) and business is brisk in the southern region districts of Thyolo and Mulanje which have the highest numbers of people living with HIV.
Civil society reaction
John Kapito, renowned human rights activist and executive director of the Consumer Association of Malawi (CAMA), described the misuse as worrisome and disappointing.
"This is very unfortunate. Apart from threatening people's lives, it also shows that there is a breakdown in the security of drugs in our hospitals," said Kapito.
He called upon the government to empower communities to ensure hospital staff do not abuse their positions and misuse government resources.
An audit of Global Fund grants to Malawi by the Office of Inspector General in 2010 identified US$3.9 million in ineligible and unsupported expenditure. The country has been refunding the Global Fund since 2012 with US$500,000 paid in October 2012, and a further US$937,905 in April 2013. This has negatively affected the national response to HIV, particularly in terms of scaling up prevention and treatment.
Kapito said: "It is surprising that at a time when the country is experiencing drug shortages, someone is selling the little that we have. What message are these people sending out there?
continued here http://allafrica.com/stories/201409031473.html
................................................................................................................................
Africa is a unique place
