Shocking Revelations On Aids Drug
Financial Gazette (Harare)
NEWS
January 6, 2005
Posted to the web January 6, 2005
By Charles Rukuni
Bulawayo
A drug that is being vigorously promoted in Zimbabwe as the answer to solving the mother-to-child transmission of HIV may have serious side-effects, especially if used as a single dose.
Reports now surfacing show that the drug, nevirapine, may cause long-term resistance to AIDS drugs if used as a lone dose, thus foreclosing other treatment options.
Associated Press says while the United States' National Institute of Health (NIH) knew about the problems way back in 2002, it did not tell the White House before President George W Bush launched a plan to spread nevirapine throughout Africa.
The NIH's AIDS division chief, Dr Edmund Tramont, even doctored a report by one of his subordinates, Dr Betsy Smith, that showed some of the negative safety concerns that had been discovered in Uganda during clinical trials there.
Tramont's report, submitted shortly before Bush's visit to Africa from July 7-12 2003, concluded that nevirapine was safe even when used as a single dose. Bush visited Botswana, South Africa, Uganda, Nigeria and Senegal.
Read more...AllAfrica.com