MORE than 30 000 patients are currently on anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs treatment in the 16 Bulawayo City Council clinics while 2 628 have died as a result of HIV since 2004, council has revealed.
CHIEF REPORTER
According to a report of council’s health, housing and education committee, 31 025 people are on ARV treatment with Nketa Clinic having the highest number of people on treatment and accounting for the most deaths.
According to the report, by January, 3 257 patients were on treatment and 632 deaths were recorded at the clinic since 2004.
Njube Clinic caters for 770 patients on ARVs with four deaths recorded; Pelandaba has 3 082 patients and had 135 deaths; Luveve 2 925 patients and 244 deaths.
Northern Suburbs has 1 811 patients and has had 68 deaths; Nkulumane has 3 317 patients and 206 deaths; Entumbane 1 564 and 153 deaths; Mzilikazi 2 575 and 101 deaths; Magwegwe 2 264 and 235 deaths and Tshabalala 851 and six deaths.
Pumula Clinic caters for 3 157 patients and has had 63 deaths; Khami Road Clinic 1 715 and 493 deaths; Emakhandeni 2 001 and 257 deaths; Maqhawe 1 105 and 31 deaths; Pumula South 370 and no deaths recoded so far. EF Watson has 261 patients on ARVs and has also recorded no deaths.
The National Aids Council (NAC) Bulawayo office has embarked on a survey to determine the reasons behind the high default rate among people on anti-retroviral therapy in the city. According to figures from NAC, as of January, a total of 50 477 people in the city were on first line anti-retroviral therapy with females being the majority at 31 488 compared to 18 989 males.
