The Secretary of Health announced the change in the management of antiretroviral treatment, which will be more effective, especially in people who have resistance to some antiretroviral drugs.

At a press conference on the HIV Paradigm Shift in Mexico: "Antiretrovirals", in the Miguel E. Bustamante auditorium of this dependency, the Undersecretary of Prevention and Health Promotion, doctor Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez, accompanied by specialists in Infectology and representatives of civil society organizations, explained that these therapeutic modifications are based on scientific evidence and international experiences, and will apply to those who do not have Social Security.

To meet this end, a group of specialists was formed, who will provide technical advice to the doctors who prescribe these drugs, in order that people receive the best treatments possible.

This measure responds to the need to offer a better quality of life to people living with HIV, by providing more effective and safe therapeutic schemes, and in turn, allows the Mexican government to purchase drugs at the best prices.

As an example, López-Gatell revealed that Mexico acquired antiretrovirals up to 20 times more expensive than other countries in Latin America. He clarified that this situation reduced the capacity to satisfy the right to health protection, due to the fact that a smaller volume of drugs was purchased due to the high costs.

The federal official acknowledged the contribution of the scientific community and civil organizations, which together have formulated a new paradigm for the management of HIV. With this proposal of therapeutic change, among others, the risks of resistance to antivirals are avoided.

López-Gatell Ramírez made it clear that the Secretary of Health has not stopped giving antiretrovirals and in specific cases, the drug was replaced by another of equal or greater genetic barrier. In this task, he recognized the government of Mexico City, through the Clínica Condesa, for the support with the provision of antiretrovirals, which were distributed to the entities where it was required.

In his opportunity, the head of the Department of Investigation in Infectious Diseases of the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER), doctor Gustavo Reyes Terán, indicated that the new schemes of treatment have had good results in the entities where it has been applied, like Guerrero and Puebla, where it shows a better efficiency and security .

The head of the Department of Sciences of the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition "Dr. Salvador Zubirán", Juan Sierra, estimated that there are 20,000 to 30,000 people with HIV who have resistance problems to some types of antiretrovirals.

He indicated that the main threat to the population receiving antiretrovirals is not the suspension of medications, but the change from one health system to another, because the continuity of treatment is interrupted.

For his part, Rodrigo Moheno Mendoza, Secretary General of the "Mexico Vivo" Foundation, assured that the government has responded to the needs of the population, by resorting to the scientific community to improve the treatment schemes. For what he considered as a challenge to join more organizations to this task.

Also attending the conference were doctors Alicia Menéndez, from Clínica Condesa, and Olivia Maldonado, director of La Casa de la Sal, A.C.

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