NIMR director cautions against improper ARV usage
DAR ES SALAAM: Director General of the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Professor Said Aboud, has urged people living with HIV who are currently taking antiretroviral drugs to adhere strictly to their doctor’s prescriptions to avoid drug resistance.
Speaking during the 11th conference of the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) held in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday, Prof Aboud stressed that improper use of medication can lead to the development of drug resistance in HIV.
“A patient must use medication precisely according to the instructions. If the drugs are used improperly, the HIV virus has a chance to develop resistance to the medication, rendering it ineffective,” he said.
Acting Vice Chancellor of MUHAS, Professor Emmanuel Baladya, noted that the conference is part of their ongoing efforts to involve various stakeholders from the Ministry of Health and other sectors to assess progress in addressing the matter.
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According to Professor Baladya, nearly five percent of those using certain medications experience resistance, and some drugs do not benefit users, with 90 percent showing signs of resistance.
Senior Lecturer and Researcher at MUHAS, Dr. Doreen Kamori, revealed that in 2020 they conducted research across 22 regions to examine the extent of drug resistance in antiretroviral therapies and found that most resistance cases were among those receiving treatment.
She noted that a widely recognized drug, dolutegravir, introduced to the country in 2019 and recommended for its effectiveness, has shown resistance indicators. Dr. Kamori mentioned that 5.8 percent of users experienced inadequate efficacy with this drug.
“We see that as a country, when considering changing or introducing new drugs, it is essential to set guidelines and prepare thoroughly by conducting research to assess viral load in patients on treatment and to carefully plan the transition to new medications, monitoring those living with the virus to identify any challenges,” she said.
