Aids drugs killed Zimbabwe woman

Aids drugs killed Zimbabwe woman - coroner

• Martin Takawira: Zimbabwe: a country in denial

• Zimbabwe hospitals operating below capacity

• Tendai: 'Westerhof can change his name'

• Westerhof hits back in row with ex-wife

• Tendai Westerhof's donor stunt unconvincing

• Third of Zimbabwe teachers HIV positive

• Serial rapist behind bars after school horror

• Martin Takawira: Spare a thought for Maidei

• Dr Frenk Guni: Death by denial, a country in peril

• Mandela tells world son died of Aids

• Aids leaves 1m children as family heads

• Donor mistrust multiplies Zim's Aids crisis

• Is marijuana the elusive Aids cure?

• Zim appeal for Aids money turned down

• Half Zimbabwe's troops HIV positive

• Mugabe: I lost relatives to Aids

• MPs tested for Aids

• MPs to take HIV tests

• Zim immigrants account for half UK aids cases

By Staff Reporter

A ZIMBABWEAN care worker died from a rare reaction to drugs she was taking to control HIV and related conditions, a British coroner decided last week.

Wendy Chiwanza, aged 42, of High Street, London Colney, died in a specialist skin unit at St Thomas' Hospital in London on September 3, after losing 90 per cent of her skin.

In a statement to Herts Coroner Edward Thomas, skin expert Professor John McGrath described her condition as a severe drug rash which could be triggered by more than 50 different drugs, some of which she was taking to control her HIV and AIDS-related conditions.

Thomas said that Chiwanza had come to this country from Zimbabwe in June 2001 to join her husband and had been employed as a care worker.

She had become ill and had complained of joint pains and a number of other conditions.

Then at the end of 2004 Chiwanza had been referred to Watford General Hospital and was found to be HIV positive.

She eventually developed her skin problem and was admitted to Watford General before being transferred to the specialist unit at St Thomas'

Recording a narrative verdict outlining how she died, Thomas said Chiwanza was HIV positive and had been treated with a number of medications that were necessary for her numerous medical problems arising from that condition.

It was thought that had caused the skin condition which had resulted in her death.

Mr Thomas added: "This is an extremely rare reaction to the drugs."
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com