ARV Shortages in Malawi

Antiretroviral treatments are a lifeline to individuals living with HIV. Therefore, shortages in Antiretroviral (ARV) medicines can pose a drastic threat to these individuals. Many clinics in Malawi offer free ARV therapy (ART) to those living with HIV. Periodical ARV shortages have affected clinics in Malawi previously; despite proposals and plans to make antiretroviral therapy (ART) steadily available. At one such clinic in Lilongwe as few as 11% of the patients received their ARV treatments due to shortages this month. Many patients are being sent to the Kamuzu Central Hospital to seek their ART. (Nyasa Times) This poses a huge challenge for patients who are sometimes too ill or simply unable to travel from clinics, which are dispersed in rural areas, to hospitals which are usually located in urban areas. 

This is not the first time shortages have affected the health of people living with HIV in Malawi. Missing as little as a single treatment can have negative effects on a patient’s health. Some patients are forced to miss treatment for weeks or even to share treatments with other patients. (Nyasa Times) Missed doses can allow the virus to reproduce, mutate and develop resistance. Proper dosage and consistent treatment are essential to effective ART, making these shortages a serious issue for all involved. 

Reasoning for these shortages has been obscure. Ministry of Health officials insist that there is no reason for panic because they have a three month buffer of ARV medicines. However, clinic staff confirm that the drugs are unavailable to the clinics. This shortage could be a result of a lack of funding. In 2012, the estimated annual cost of ART was $300-400 per person. (The Guardian) Providing treatment for the three hundred-thousand patients receiving ART is hugely expensive. This requires ongoing donations and support from a number of groups such as UNAIDS and Doctors Without Borders. Some insist that the shortages are due to shortcomings on the administrative side of things and call for the Government of Malawi to review employee practices. Whatever the cause, it is vital to the people of Malawi that ART is readily available to whoever needs it.

Written by Zoey Ponder. Edited by Emily Stallings