PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA — he South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) has welcomed the availability of Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) ARVs, saying it will encourage patients to stay on treatment and reduce incidences of non-compliance and non-adherence.

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi launched the FDC ARVs on Monday at Phedisong 4 Community Health Clinic in Ga-Rankuwa, a township 37 km north of here. The once-a-day, single ARV (anti-retroviral) tablet contains a combination of three vital ARVs — tenofovir, efavirenz and emtricitabine.

It will be given to newly diagnosed HIV positive persons, all HIV positive pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers regardless of their CD 4 count. This will continue even after breast-feeding if their CD 4 count falls below 350.

Welcoming the roll-out of the FDC, SANAC chief executive officer Dr Fareed Abdullah said the fixed dose would simplify the way patients take ARV treatment.

‘This simplification of treatment makes taking AIDS treatment convenient. We hope that it will result in patients complying with and adhering to their treatment, and will enable many more patients to take their medication everywhere and anywhere they may be,’ he added.

‘We have come a very long way since the advent of ARVs. At one point, patients used to take […]