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Auxilia Katongomara Chronicle Reporter
THE National Aids Council (NAC) says it has failed to find evidence that small scale farmers are feeding their chickens with HIV drugs to make them mature in half the time.

NAC launched enquiries after reports circulated that some poultry farmers were using anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) on their chickens even as thousands of people living with HIV were failing to access the life-saving drugs.

Amon Mpofu, the NAC monitoring and evaluation director, said his organisation met with farmers in the poultry industry over the matter.

“Those preparing chicken feed tell us they haven’t seen anyone feeding chickens with HIV drugs. The biggest challenge we have is that the people aren’t willing to come forth with information pinpointing anyone doing it,” said Mpofu.

Mpofu said his organisation was keen to meet the culprits — if they exist — and establish the source of the ARVs.

“We’re willing to interview the people who are conducting this alleged illegal activity,” said Mpofu.

Mpofu said no study had been undertaken in the country to ascertain the effects of eating chickens fed on ARVs.

“It’s difficult to carry out a study to give details because that’s more like an experiment. We need to get clearance, so now how do you get clearance to conduct such a study?” asked Mpofu.

Bulawayo provincial veterinary services officer Polex Moyo said the vet department had not found evidence that farmers are engaging in the practice.

“We’ve only heard unofficial reports of chickens that are fed with ARVs but we don’t have any cases that were reported officially. We don’t have any statistics,” said Moyo.

About 62,000 out of nearly 109,000 children living with HIV in Zimbabwe are not on anti-retroviral treatment, while close to 800,000 people are on ARVs against a target of 1,273,188, according to NAC figures.