Border News Agency
Kyauktaw, May 21
Patients in areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA) say there is an urgent need for medicine for those suffering from HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.
Those patients say they are facing severe shortages of medication and urgently need medical assistance.
“I didn’t even know I had this disease. I only found out after getting tested for a blood donation,” a patient from Kyauktaw Township told Border News Agency.
“The hospital told me they don’t have medicine for this disease, but they gave me a list of drugs to buy on my own. Even the hospital lacks HIV medication. Where am I supposed to get these drugs? There is an urgent need for HIV medicine in Rakhine,” he added.
There is an urgent need for ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) medication for HIV patients. In the past, these medicines were provided free of charge through local township health departments.
However, after the full-scale war began in Arakan, hospitals, clinics, and international humanitarian aid operations were shut down, leading to a shortage of essential medicines, according to local sources.
In addition, locals say the Myanmar junta has imposed restrictions on all forms of transportation, including the flow of goods and the transport of medicine, which has further contributed to the severe shortage of medical supplies.
As a result, locals say that HIV patients in areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA) are facing severe health deterioration due to a shortage of ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) medication.
“HIV patients absolutely cannot go without medication. Ideally, they should relocate to areas where medicine is more accessible. But in Rakhine, patients are facing many difficulties due to roadblocks and travel restrictions. It’s heartbreaking to see their health deteriorating because of the medicine shortage. I myself can’t do anything to help in the current situation. Now that most townships are under AA control, I believe this issue needs to be addressed through a coordinated approach,” a former healthcare worker from Kyauktaw Township told Border News Agency.
ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) helps prevent the HIV virus from multiplying in the blood and bodily fluids of patients.
If taken regularly, ART can strengthen the immune system, allowing HIV-positive individuals to live long and healthy lives like anyone else.
However, if HIV patients fail to take ART consistently, their immune systems may weaken, leading to the development of AIDS and potentially resulting in death, experts warn.
Before the full-scale war in Arakan began, there were over 500 HIV-positive patients receiving ART medication, so many patients are now facing medicine shortages, according to healthcare workers.
They also reported that due to the ART shortages last year, one man and two women passed away.
In townships controlled by the Arakan Army, the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government has established a Health Department to provide healthcare services to the local population.
