AIDS drugs, some
of them contaminated, diluted, or faked, are being sold
at flea markets and hairdressing salons in the face of
growing shortages in clinics linked to Zimbabwe's
economic crisis, the health ministry said.
State media
quoted Minister of Health David Parirenyatwa on Monday
appealing to people living with HIV or AIDS to buy their
medicines from registered pharmacies, clinics, and
hospitals only.
''These fake
drugs increase chances of one becoming resistant to
treatment, and it becomes even more expensive for that
person to remain on treatment,'' he was quoted as
saying by the official Herald newspaper, which
said that the ''prohibitive'' cost of antiretroviral
drugs at private pharmacies had fueled the illegal market.
State radio said
that the illegal medications were either adulterated
with other substances or useless fakes.
About 50,000
HIV-infected patients are receiving free medication from
government hospitals in a nation where an estimated 3,000
people die a week from AIDS-related conditions. The
Herald said 300,000 more are in urgent need of
treatment.
Since a
government edict in June to slash prices of all goods and
services by about half, pharmacies say many medicines have
been scarce. The price cuts were ordered in an effort
to tame the world's highest official inflation of
7,634%. Independent estimates put real inflation
closer to 25,000% and the International Monetary Fund
forecasts it reaching 100,000% by the end of the year.
Local
manufacturers of anti-HIV drugs have failed to obtain enough
imported raw materials, which must be paid for in scarce
hard currency.
The local generic
drug costs about 5 million Zimbabwe dollars for a
month's supply, far out of the reach of most impoverished
Zimbabweans. A teacher in a top government high school
earns about 3 million Zimbabwe dollars a month. Where
formal unemployment is 80%, an unskilled general hand
earns half that amount.
At the dominant
black market exchange rate of 250,000-1, 5 million
Zimbabwe dollars worth of medication is the equivalent of
US$20 compared to US$165 at the official exchange rate
of 30,000 to 1.
AIDS support
groups say patients receiving antiretroviral treatment live
in constant fear of not being able to find or pay for their
monthly medication. Imported drugs cost up to double
the local makes.
Interruptions in
treatment, along with poor nutrition, quickly render
sufferers vulnerable to tuberculosis and other often fatal
infections, according to support groups.
Most basic foods
have disappeared from the shelves since the government's
prices edit June 26. The corn meal staple, meat, bread,
milk, sugar, eggs, and even soap and tea fetch 10
times the government's fixed price if found on the
illegal black market.
Bread shortages
worsened Monday across the country after the two main
bakery chains said they were down to their last emergency
reserves of flour.
One main Harare
baking factory sent home hundreds of workers on
indefinite leave on Friday.
The government
has raised its price freeze across the board upward by
20%, but businesses say they are still being told to sell
goods at below production costs. (AP)