The National Health Security Office (NHSO) plans to distribute third-line anti-retroviral drugs next year because of a spike in drug-resistant HIV cases.
Patients currently have access to firstline and second-line anti-retroviral (ARV)drugs through the 30-baht universal healthcare scheme.
However, the increase in ARV-resistant cases has become a concern, NHSO secretary-general Winai Sawasdivorn said yesterday.
Officials are alarmed by the discovery that the number of drug-resistant HIV cases recorded under the universal healthcare, the civil servant health welfare,and the social security schemes rose to 11.5% of total cases last year, compared with 5.8% in 2008.
The universal healthcare scheme has about 280,400 people with HIV under its care, while the civil servant welfare and the social security schemes provide treatment to another 352,956 HIVpositive patients.
Drug resistance among HIV patients is mainly caused by patients taking the drugs inconsistently. The NHSO plans to distribute the third-line ARV drug Darunavir to patients under the universal scheme who have developed resistance to first- and second-line drugs.
The office also plans to distribute more hypolipidemic agents to people with HIV and to campaign for better HIV screening with various health organisations.
Source: Bangkok Post June 20,2013
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