In South Africa, HIV’s Patients Survive Disease But Are Weary of Its Toll
South Africa has the world’s largest antiretroviral therapy program with over 4 million people receiving treatment. But the ARV drug therapy, regarded by many as a panacea for HIV, is complicated and comes with its a number of side effects, both physical and mental. As VOA’s Zaheer Cassim explains from Johannesburg, perceptions of those side effects and the complex nature of the treatment has brought a new serious problem: many people just do not want to take the drugs anymore.
…