Health activists say the government has provided no clear plans for how it intends addressing the antiretroviral and contraceptive shortages in health-care facilities across the country.
The shortage is the result of a challenge with the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), lamivudine and abacavir.
National Department of Health spokesperson Popo Maja said: “New legislation in China (where the APIs are manufactured) related to industrial pollution impacted on both manufacturers, currently on contract, experiencing supply constraints.
“Furthermore, challenges were also experienced with the availability of darunavir as a result of a batch failure during manufacturing. There is no other registered product available in the country.”
Maja said that in mitigating the challenges additional volumes, where available, were sourced by the contracted suppliers form alternative manufacturers.
“Based on the supply plan provided by the contracted supplier, the supply should normalise by mid-November. The stock of darunavir has already arrived and is being distributed. The supply will normalise by the end of this week.”
Western Cape Department of Health spokesperson Mark van der Heever said: “In mitigating the risk, alternate strength may be used. In addition, stock is moved within the province.”
He added that when stock was received by the provincial medical depot it was “apportioned to ensure that all facilities receive some stock”.
The Stop Stocksout Project (SSP), an organisation that monitors the availability of essential primary health care medicines and children’s vaccines, said they had been monitoring the situation and had been in contact with the Department of Health.
“However, no clear plan has been provided on how to address these shortages, beyond identifying and reporting them. International API shortages are also to blame and lives are at stake,” said the organisation’s acting manager, Lauren Jankelowitz.
“The SSP hotline for any party to report stock-outs nationally has been inundated with calls and requests for assistance.”
She said the interrupted treatment of ARVs could result in opportunistic infections, treatment failure and, ultimately, death.