Conflict messes with health services. And it is good to hear that both Rohingya and Rakhine people will be treated at the MPG clinic.

[him] moderator

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ARV Shortage Plagues AIDS Patients in Kachin Refugee Camps
By NAN THIRI LWIN / THE IRRAWADDY| November 21, 2012 |

As armed conflict between the Kachin Independence Army and the Burmese army drags on, HIV/AIDS patients in some refugee camps in Kachin State are facing a lack of anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, according to relief workers.

“Artsen Zonder Grenzen [AZG, a Dutch NGO] was providing ARV drugs to HIV/AIDS patients in our area, but it couldn’t after the patients moved to refugee camps,” said Thein Wan, a nurse working in the Magayang refugee camp on the Sino-Burmese border.

“The patients are also unable to leave the camps to get the ARV drugs because of poor transportation and security concerns, so most of them have just stopped taking the drugs,” she added.

Scores of patients have died because their treatment has been interrupted, health care workers in the camps reported. Government officials say they are aware of the problem, but are unable to do anything about it.

“Ordinary medicine can be provided by either our government or other donors, but ARV drugs can only be given by concerned organizations,” said Bauk Jar, the Kachin State government’s minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement.

While refugees in camps located in Myitkyina, Bhamo and Waimaw townships have relatively easy access to AZG clinics, patients in border camps and areas such as Panwa, Kanpipetee and Mansi have a much harder time getting ARV drugs.

“We had to go through China in order to access the AZG clinic located in Laiza [in Kachin State on the Sino-Burmese border]. Since we don’t have passports, we had to use a jungle route and walk to reach our destination. It was too difficult, so in the end we just decided to try to live without the medicine,” said an HIV/AIDS patient from the Magayang camp.

Aid groups working with the refugees say they are trying to help the HIV/AIDS patients displaced by the ongoing conflict, but have no easy way to get their hands on the drugs they need.

“Our main concern is providing food and shelter for all of the refugees. That doesn’t mean that we can’t think about providing ARV drugs, but we face a lot of difficulties, due to poor transportation and a lack of funding,” said Min Htet Nyein Chan, a member of Sein Yaung So (The Green), an organization providing aid to war refugee camps in Kachin State.

According to UNAIDS, the United Nations HIV/AIDS program, there are an estimated 240,000 people in Burma infected by HIV, half of whom do not have access to medication. Around 18,000 people in the country die of AIDS annually due to limited access to ARV drugs.

http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/19472

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NGO plans Sittwe HIV clinic
Yamon Phu Thit
Myanmar Times
Monday, 03 December 2012

A Myanmar NGO will open an HIV/AIDS clinic in Rakhine State to address shortages of anti-retroviral treatment (ART) in the area caused by communal unrest.

The Myanmar Positive Group (MPG) is planning to open a clinic in Sittwe in December, officials from the group said.

MPG is a national network for people living with HIV/AIDS. They will work jointly with Utopia Association, a local Rakhine organisation, U Than Tun, MPG’s Rakhine representative told The Myanmar Times by phone on November 27. He added that the clinic plans to provide care to both Rakhine and Rohingya.

They aim to help people living with HIV/AIDS in Rakhine State avoid a future shortage of ART and healthcare access during times of conflict due to security concerns.

“Six people living with HIV/AIDS died due to a shortage of ART during the unrest which started in June,” U Than Tun said.

Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF) –Holland provided healthcare and ART to people living with HIV/AIDS in Rakhine State since 1994, before they were forced to suspend working in the region when unrest flared in June.

More than 300 patients received ART from MSF. However, MSF has been unable to operate freely due to ongoing security concerns and unfounded rumours that the group was aiding the Rohingya during clashes.

Despite multiple attempts to debunk the false information, Rakhine residents will only accept treatment from reliable Rakhine and government associations, not from the MSF, according to Rakhine activists.

The MPG has been discussing their plans with Rakhine associations and plans to meet with the officials from the Rakhine community and local residents before opening the clinic. They will work with the Rakhine Friendship Association and Wun Let Association, said U Than Tun.

“We are sure the residents will accept the opening of the clinic because the Rakhine nationalities will participate in it,” he said.

They plan to open the clinic in Mi Zan ward in Sittwe where MSF tried to open their clinic. The clinic will provide services such as HIV/AIDS testing, ART and healthcare to people living with HIV/AIDS.

U Ba Swe, leader of the Utopia Association said the clinic will be funded by the association but contributions from local donors would be necessary to expand the services.

“We need people who are able to represent and speak for the people living with HIV/AIDS in Rakhine State,” he said.

More than 600 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Rakhine State and about 330 patients are receiving ART while 285 patients are waiting to receive the treatment.

http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/mandalay-upper-myanmar/3473-ngo-plans-sittwe-hiv-clinic.html