New drugs to curb HIV, says expert to Bahrain

Manama : The latest medicines for HIV and the advanced treatment methods currently available indicate that the spread of the virus can be prevented while also allowing the patient to live a normal life, a visiting expert said. 

Dr. N Kumarasamy, an expert panel member for World Health Organisation (WHO) Antiretroviral Treatment guidelines committee, said HIV patients will not spread the virus as long as they are treated using antiretroviral drugs. 

He said that the treatment would allow the HIV patients to live a normal life. “These patients can live a normal life for any number of years as long as they take the medication every day,” he told DT News in an interview yesterday.

“When they take these antiretroviral drugs, they will not transfer the infection to their partners because the drugs reduces the virus levels,’ he said.

“There are various lines of therapy, first we try the first line of therapy, if it does not work we try the second or third line of the treatment. With all these treatments, people can live a normal life and their immune systems will also remain unaffected. They just have to take the medicines every day,” he explained.

He also explained that treatment methods of Hepatitis C has taken huge leaps. 

“Similarly, thanks to the advancement in medicine, Hepatitis C is entirely curable. There are many new medications developed which can cure the disease entirely. If the patients gets the treatment on time, their liver will not be affected,” he said.

“There are many new drugs for these kind of infectious diseases, but only a few are available in this region. I believe there is a discussion among doctors on how to get the medications here. These drugs are expensive if you are importing them from the US or Europe, but if you buy it from countries like India, it will be a lot cheaper,” he said. 

Dr. Kumarasamy came to Bahrain at the invitation of Middle East Hospitals and Al Namal-VKL Group Chairman Dr. Varghese Kurian. 

He was presiding a forum on emerging infectious diseases, organised by the hospital under the patronage of Supreme Council for Health Chairman Lieutenant General Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa at the Best Western Plus The Olive Hotel in Juffair on Saturday. 

Health Ministry Under-secretary Dr. Aysha Buanq was the chief guest. Middle East Hospitals CEO Dr. Baha Eldin Fateha and Dr. Ravi Preet Singh also attended the event.