DODOMA: THE Ministry of Health has allayed fears over the availability of Anti- retroviral (ARV) drugs in the country, dispelling fears stemming from unfounded rumors circulating on social media about shortage of the drugs.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the Ministry’s Head of Communication Unit Ms Roida Andusamile in Dodoma, the government assured the general public that ARV supplies remain adequate and accessible to all users.
It assured people using ARVs that the drugs are not for sale and that they should not worry about their availability, urging them to continue with the medication as recommended by health experts.
The government said that the misleading reports have caused unnecessary concern among citi- zens, prompting some patients to request for long term dosage which is inappropriate and could affect the proper storage and use of the drugs.
“The government, through the Ministry of Health, assures the public that ARV drugs are not sold and remain sufficiently available.
Patients using these medications have no reason to worry about their availability,” the statement said.
The ministry reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring the uninterrupted availability of ARV drugs, emphasising that it continues to implement robust measures to guarantee access to essential medical supplies across the country.
It also urged citizens to dis- regard unverified reports and adhere strictly to prescribed medical guidelines to prevent drug resistance and related com- plications.
The ministry called on ARV users to remain calm and follow professional health advice for effective treatments. Immediately after assuming power,
US President Donald Trump’s administration signed an executive order, directing USA linked organisations operating overseas to stop disbursing HIV medications funded by his government, even if the drugs had already been obtained and were sit- ting in local clinics.
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The directive is part of a broader freeze on foreign aid, including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a global health initiative credited with saving more than 25 million lives worldwide.
The administration had already moved to stop PEP- FAR funding from reaching clinics, hospitals and other organisations in low-income countries.
Commenting on the impact of US policy shifts, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa recently addressed Parliament, emphasising Tanzania’s commitment to economic self-reliance.
Mr Majaliwa stated that the US through its Agency for International Development (USAID), had halted certain aid programmes previously provided to Tanzania and other developing nations. He explained that these changes align with the new US foreign policy direction, which could affect key sec- tors in the country.
Despite this, Majaliwa reassured lawmakers that Tanzania is prepared to strengthen its economy and reduce dependency on foreign aid.
Ministry of Health Public Communications Officer, Ms Roida Andusamile said through the statement that unknown people were circulating rumours that Tanzania was facing shortage of the essential ARVs.
“There have been recent media reports that the country was facing shortage of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). The rumours are unfounded and have created unneces- sary panic among the society while some patients are buying the drugs in big number.
This could result in the negative use of the ARVs. Adding… “At the out- set the Ministry of Health would like to inform the members of the public, particularly those on anti- retroviral treatment that there are sufficient supplies of anti-retroviral drugs in the country which are also provided free of charge.
People taking ARVs should continue with the medication based on di- rections given by medical doctors,” said the ministry.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) through the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) is coordinating a nationwide HIV and AIDS interventions and care and treatment programme, aimed at providing antiret- roviral medicines (ARVs) to people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV).
The main focus of the programme is to improve accessibility to antiretroviral therapy (ART) services at health facilities and through community-based HIV ser- vices (CBHS).
