Inverted Approach

An anti-HIV drug recommended by WHO to be phased out in 2009 catches the National AIDS Control Organisation unaware. The National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) recently bulk bought an anti-HIV drug called Stavudine, which is nearly half the price of other anti-HIV drugs. But it has now come to light that the World Health Organization had recommended moving to less toxic drugs like Zidovudine back in November 2009. Since then, Stavudine is being phased out the world over due to long-term adverse effects that include lipodystrophy (localised loss of fat tissue) and peripheral neuropathy. When contacted, a technical officer from the care, support and treatment division of Naco pleaded unawareness of the WHO’s recommendation: “We follow a medical protocol and according to Naco’s own technical resource group, this drug is not being phased out.”