KAMPALA, Uganda
The Ministry of Health has approved the use of dapivirine vaginal ring (DRV) and long acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) as additional optional drugs for preventing HIV/Aids infection in Uganda.
Currently, HIV-negative
individuals rely on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) where they take a pill on a
daily basis to lower the risk of becoming HIV-positive when exposed to the
virus.
But according to Dr Vincent
Bagambe, the director for planning and strategic information at the Uganda Aids
Commission (UAC), CAB-LA as an injectable form of PrEP has proved to be highly
effective in reducing the risk of HIV acquisition.
He was speaking at the
HIV/Aids symposium at Makerere University Business School yesterday.
“This year, the Ministry of
Health approved two new HIV prevention methods; the dapivirine vaginal ring and
long acting injectable cabotegravir, and service guidelines have been updated
appropriately,” Dr Bagambe said.
” The vaginal ring, which
women insert in their private parts before having sex, has an antiviral agent
that is able to prevent HIV infection. This option will put HIV prevention in
the hands of women. If all women vulnerable to HIV can embrace it, it will be a
game changer,” he explained.
Dr Bagambe explained that the
person using the CAB-LA method receives one injection after every six months.
This comes after the World
Health Organisation (WHO) last year recommended that CAB-LA be offered as an
additional HIV prevention option for people at substantial risk of HIV
infection.
Presenting the National
HIV/Aids report, Dr Bagambe said the disease remains a burden in Uganda, with
1.4 million people currently infected.
According to the report, last
year, the country registered 54,000 new HIV/Aids infections, of which two
thirds were adolescents. However, the report indicates that girls bear the
highest brunt of the new infections.
He also revealed that the infection rate among children born to mothers living
with HIV has increased from 1.7 percent last year to 2.7 percent this year due
to poor adherence to treatment.
Dr Baguma noted that although
their budget had been increased from Shs298b during the last financial year to
Shs304 billion, they need more financial support.
Dr Bagambe revealed that last
year, about 17,000 people in Uganda died of HIV/Aids- related diseases,
majority of whom were men. He attributed this to poor health seeking behaviour
among the men.
He said 17,000 deaths per year is higher than the 2025 target of less than
10,000 deaths per year.
Prime Minister Robinah
Nabbanja, who was the chief guest at the symposium, also admitted that HIV/Aids
remain a burden in the country.
“Despite the tremendous
success made in reduction of HIV prevalence from 18 percent in 1990s to the
current 5.5 percent, the prevalence among women remains at 7.2 percent, 4.2
among men and the prevalence among adolescents is four times higher,” she said.
The US Ambassador, Ms Natalie
Brown, pledged her government’s support to Uganda’s interventions in the fight
against HIV/Aids. - Monitor
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