Zambia: Struggling with HIV/AIDS…Zambia makes initial break through
Alfred Tembo in Zambia – MPHOMWA village in search of help on a cold tearing Tuesday, one could not help noticing scores of villagers braving the stony winter morning to swarm Mphomwa clinic a tiny out-of-the-way health centre, some 60kilometre from Chipata town along the road to Mfuwe, a resorts village.
The government and other stakeholders are in wait too, as the search continues in the web of maze and endless promises by scientists and researchers for a more effective medication to treat HIV/AIDS. But in the meantime, all they can provide are the available anti-retroviral (ART) drugs coupled with extensive counselling to tone down possible disasters associated with the pandemic.
While others came into terms with their situations, some are struggling to cope up with the situation and dismiss the pickle. Yet life goes on.
On the long queue for ‘salvation’ is KamimaNjovu (14) who nature has deprived of a beautiful childhood memory filled with playful days, playing hide and seek like many of her age, but has been forced to nurse pain as though it were a worth play pet.
But Dr. Sondashi said the future is not yet shuttered, as he has raised dust to allow hope for many people living with the virus to settle in their hearts.
Dr. Sondashi, a trained legal expert, originator of Sondashi Formula 2000 (SF2000), a herbal HIV/AIDS medicine. The SF2000 was subjected to a controlled and formal clinical trial which has since painted glimmering shine of hope with respondents proving effective.
Coined phase 1, the study was mainly aimed at assessing safety and tolerability of the drug in humans.
As part of the clinical trial, SF2000 was administered, “to forty-three abled bodied males, who were randomly assigned to three distinct drug regimes.” And the results were positive.
Dr. Sondashi says, “The report is important, it outlines the safety and tolerability parameters measured to conclude the safety of the drug.”
He added, “Due to positive results, resource mobilisation for phase two of the clinical trials is now underway and will focus on testing the drug’s ability.
He said, his” Venture is important, in that it seeks to change communities for better, but the slow pace at which the clinical trials are taking place is worrisome.
“This drug is a solution, and answering call of many poor people that continue to struggle with elimination of HIV/AIDS.”
Meanwhile the argument at home in Zambia, revealed that assertions are that 17years after development of the drug, its failure to make an impact globally is highly attributed to political wheel by most African governments across the continent and the international community alike.
To the surprise of foes of progress on elimination of HIV/AIDS by 2030 as stipulated by United Nations (UN) through sustainable development goals, the brew is used commonly in Botswana, South Africa, and Lesotho among other countries through.
Describing his experiences in the long journey of attempting to solve the global challenge Dr. Sondashi, says SF2000 is a product of aggression to make the world a better place.
But with the focus of still at lowering the risk and challenges posed by HIV/AIDS, some medical experts say unprotected sex has been found to be a major driver of the pandemic, with 90 per cent of infections resulting from such practises.
The problem is affecting all groups, married people as well as singles and the newly born without a downturn.
Apart from the beaming hope that Zambia smile at NGOCC says there is need to coin a message that still promotes safe sex, and the need to empower women.
“They too can make the decision of using protection when having sex, in the same manner as their male counterparts.
“It one simple prevention mechanism we have at our disposal,” said NGOCC executive director, Sara Longwe.
But Zambia still has a long way to go in inculcating communities on providing in-depth education on HIV/AIDS as most people hunger for demystification of issues with the major challenge being stigma. HIV/AIDS has for a long time seriously associated with people’s sexual behaviour, indecent sexual act, pre-marital sex, extra-marital sex, promiscuity, sex work men having sex with men and injecting drugs when they are several other possible ways where the virus can also be transmitted through breastfeeding and use of contaminated needles.
HIV virus is found in body fluids such as semen, vaginal fluids, blood, breast milk, urine and saliva. One can only be infected with HIV when the quality of the virus is strong, when a large quantity of it is present and when there is a route of transmission.
