Powerful piece today on #HIV and #TB during #COVID19. Delays in diagnosis, treatment interruption, supply chain failures, but also emerging solutions by @apoorva_nyc @nytimes
nytimes.com/2020/08/03/hea…
nytimes.com/2020/08/03/hea…
... short of diagnostic capacity, gene Xpert machines are being used to find #COVID19 INSTEAD of #TB... “very stupid from a public health perspective,” said @LucicaDitiu. “You should actually be smart and do both. 
...People avoiding clinics, staff shortages closing facilities. How many #AIDS deaths will we see b/c people came to care too late?
“We’re seeing people come in at the stage where they’re kind of on death’s door,” @SifumbaZolelwa KZN South Africa “What are we not doing right?”
“We’re seeing people come in at the stage where they’re kind of on death’s door,” @SifumbaZolelwa KZN South Africa “What are we not doing right?”
...#HIV #TB supplies crisis:
“The disruption of supply chains is really something that worries me” @CarlosdelRio7
“We’re very dependent on a few key developers or manufacturers for all of the drugs around the world, and that needs to be diversified,” @mdoherty_hiv @WHO
“The disruption of supply chains is really something that worries me” @CarlosdelRio7
“We’re very dependent on a few key developers or manufacturers for all of the drugs around the world, and that needs to be diversified,” @mdoherty_hiv @WHO
Looming crisis in #HIV drugs is price too: cost of these alone could rise by $225 million per year because of shortfalls in supplies and work force, transport disruptions and currency fluctuations, according to @UNAIDS @ShannonHader @Mandeep_Dh
unaids.org/en/resources/p…
unaids.org/en/resources/p…
...Lockdowns cutting access: Nairobi, Thomas Wuoto borrowed antiretroviral pills from his wife... a volunteer educator for H.I.V., Mr. Wuoto knew too well he was risking drug resistance by skipping doses. Went 10 days w/o meds, 1st time since 2002 that he had missed his therapy.
...Does not have to happen this way:
1) FUND the global response! @GlobalFund is now billions short of what it needs, @PEPFAR needs urgent injection. fund global #COVID19 + HIV, TB, Malaria all at once
1) FUND the global response! @GlobalFund is now billions short of what it needs, @PEPFAR needs urgent injection. fund global #COVID19 + HIV, TB, Malaria all at once
2) time for urgent policy shifts. As @CarlosdelRio @mdoherty_hiv recommend, people living w #HIV should be given long supplies of drugs (at least 3, better 6). No need to come to clinic! But we found most countries don’t (note: updates stats coming)
hivpolicylab.org/documents/Poli…
hivpolicylab.org/documents/Poli…
...This is what I mean about worry how world leaders are talking global health security. Acting to protect powerful countries & failing to address what’s killing poor people, failing to address how markets fail, perpetuates injustice in name of #GlobalHealth
@Winnie_Byanyima
@Winnie_Byanyima
