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Thandeka Moyo, Chronicle Reporter
CONSISTENT adherence to Anti-Retrovirals (ARVs) can result in the viral load being undetectable in HIV- positive people, Doctors Without Borders have said.
Such people, the doctors said, though HIV-positive, are unlikely to transmit the virus to their partners or babies.
MSF intersectional communications officer Gloria Ganyani urged HIV+ people to adhere to ARV medication consistently for life to avoid weakening their systems. .
“Antiretroviral treatment can’t completely eliminate the HIV virus from the body because the virus can hide in the body,” said Ganyani at an HIV awareness campaign at Efusini Shopping Centre in Makokoba, Bulawayo, yesterday.
“As of now, there’s no cure for HIV and each patient needs to stay on treatment for life as interrupting or stopping treatment puts one’s life in danger. However, the less virus an HIV-positive person has in the body, the less damage is done to the immune system. Under a certain threshold the virus is undetectable in the blood which means that the patient gets maximum impact from his/her ARV treatment.”
She said at that instance, the HIV virus cannot multiply and attack the person’s body, although it could spring back into life.
“Concretely, an HIV positive person who has an undetectable viral load is unlikely to transmit the virus to his/her partner or baby.
“Also, if the virus is weak that it is undetectable, it’s unable to attack the person’s immune system and the person will not get sick with opportunistic diseases that are associated with being HIV-positive and develop Aids,” said Ganyani.
She said viral load monitoring is the only way to accurately check if a person’s viral load is undetectable, meaning the person is responding well to medication.
“Viral load monitoring is measuring the amount of the virus in one’s blood. It’s the current gold standard for treatment and monitoring of people living with HIV. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the routine monitoring which can be done once a year,” Ganyani added.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care is working on rolling out targeted viral load monitoring at designated facilities.
Pretty DaSilva, who took advantage of the free HIV testing and counselling opportunity courtesy of MSF yesterday, said being HIV-positive was no longer a death sentence in Zimbabwe.
“I encourage people to get tested and know their status while there’s still time. I’m happy because people in Makokoba have come in their numbers to test and get counselling today,” said DaSilva.
WHO says a proportion of people receiving ARVs develop detectable viral load because of inadequate adherence to treatment.
“As most programmes in low and middle-income countries have historically relied on CD4 monitoring, people receiving ARV drugs and health care providers may not be familiar with the concept and importance of viral load,” reads a WHO statement.
“Counselling should be provided so that people receiving ARVs and health care providers understand the meaning and implications of having a detectable or undetectable viral load and its relation to adherence.”
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