Cuban patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) have voiced their concerns over the severe shortage of antiretroviral medications on the island. According to Martí Noticias, the scarcity of these essential drugs is alarming, compounded by the additional challenge of maintaining a balanced diet, which is critical for these patients.
The story of Dianelys Martínez Valle, a resident of Perico, Matanzas, highlights the inefficiencies of the Cuban authorities. Martínez Valle claims she contracted HIV in 2015 due to a blood transfusion received at a public health center during her pregnancy. She expresses her frustration and exhaustion from writing countless letters to Havana seeking solutions for her sick child.
"I've been mistreated at the hospital. I've faced discrimination. Every month there's a different problem. My child had to take an adult antiretroviral because the country didn't have medications for children, which caused him tremors. The state doesn't even provide the vitamins my child needs," Martínez Valle told Martí Noticias.
She, her nine-year-old son, and her husband are all diagnosed with HIV. Martínez Valle states, "There are no reagents for any tests in Cuba. My child hasn't received his dietary needs for months. Everyone knows that HIV patients need to eat well because the antiretrovirals are very strong. My child has suffered from anemia multiple times," she added.
The plight of Martínez Valle is echoed by Evelin Pineda Concepción, a Cuban from Guanabacoa, who had to sell her house to feed her HIV-positive child. "Since my child was diagnosed, getting antiretrovirals has been a constant headache. There are more times when we don't have them than when we do," Pineda Concepción told Martí Noticias.
Her eight-year-old son, who suffers from paralysis affecting half of his body, has faced significant challenges. "We had to sell our house to buy food and cover the transportation costs for medical appointments because healthcare is free, but transportation is not," she said in the Martí Noticias report. Pineda Concepción also noted that state-provided food supplies have dwindled.
The shortage of medications in Cuba is a stark reality, and HIV patients are not exempt from it. Since 2022, Cuban health authorities have acknowledged that the lack of condoms in the country hampers efforts to control the disease.
For years, Cubans have complained about the scarcity of condoms, which has led to increased teenage pregnancies and a rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Challenges Faced by HIV Patients in Cuba
This section provides answers to some of the most pressing questions regarding the challenges faced by HIV patients in Cuba.
What are the main challenges HIV patients face in Cuba?
HIV patients in Cuba struggle primarily with the lack of antiretroviral medications and the difficulties in maintaining a balanced diet essential for their treatment.
How has the shortage of medications impacted HIV patients?
The medication shortages have forced patients to use inappropriate substitutes, such as adults' antiretrovirals for children, leading to adverse side effects like tremors and anemia.
What steps have some families taken to cope with the crisis?
Some families, like that of Evelin Pineda Concepción, have resorted to selling their homes to afford food and transportation for medical appointments, highlighting the desperate measures taken to manage the situation.