ARV's in our lives[swiss].indd - Treatment Action Campaign

Sometimes I get angry because people decide and fear on our behalf. I get angry because people think just
because we have HIV and some of us are poor they can just say, here take it, it will help you. Or no, don’t take that,
it is not good for you. It is hard to be poor, yes I agree. Yes, rich people have everything they want easily. They can
buy anything they like, get anywhere they want. Me, I have to take two taxis to get
to my clinic.
I worry more about money for transport to get to my hospital than I struggle with
taking my drugs. I worry that maybe I will get there and they will say, sorry, we ran out
of drugs you must come back tomorrow. Then I think I will have to default and fear
because I know if I miss my drugs I will develop resistance. Nompumelelo
Kweza, Queenstown
Information helped activists to fight drug company profiteering
Understanding the fine detail of HIV medical science has enabled activists to form strong arguments
and campaigns that have defeated pharmaceutical (drug) companies. When these drugs were first
developed no company wanted to lower the price. No company wanted to treat poor people. Activists
challenged companies that produce these medicines and charge high prices. Over the past few
years, ARV prices have been going down day by day.
Better treatment literacy helps
us exercise our rights
Understanding treatment means that we
can also talk to governments and hospitals
about the best care for our communities.
That is why we provide a lot of scientific
details in this handbook. We do not expect
you to understand all the details when you
start reading so don’t give up before asking
others for help.
Treatment literacy is necessary
for our health!
Some people living with HIV and health workers say that all this scientific stuff is too complicated
and confusing for people. HIV is a complicated disease. Understanding its complexity will help us to
manage it. There are many social issues involved, and we talk about these in other publications.
Many studies have shown that treatment literacy leads to better health of people living with HIV/AIDS.
HIV-positive people on treatment who have less information are less likely to have an undetectable
viral load. Here in South Africa the experience is the same. We also see how workplace programmes
that provide ARVs to the workers without treatment literacy programmes have low adherence levels
and, in turn, poor treatment outcomes. This makes a very strong case for
learning about the science. Many health policy-makers and politicians talk
about the coming “tsunami of drug resistance”. But that is why TAC argues
for treatment literacy to be an ongoing programme in every community, clinic,
hospital, school, church.
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