Mapaballo Borotho
Doctors Without Borders Southern Africa has started rolling out a new HIV prevention injection in Eswatini.
This as HIV remains one of the leading causes of death in the Southern African country due to certain factors, including social stigma.
The new HIV prevention injection is a long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis. It is considered one of the new long-acting injectables, which provides pre-exposure protection for two months.
A six-month option is currently awaiting FDA approval and World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation.
The Humanitarian Organisation says the injection has the potential to end HIV in Africa if people who are at risk of contracting the virus accept it.
“In Africa HIV is a generalised epidemic, mainly concentrated in women, and affecting key populations. Over the last few years, progress has been made in the fight against HIV using some new tools. A vaginal ring and oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (known as PrEP) have given people ways to protect themselves before becoming exposed to the virus.
But oral PrEP has its challenges. One of the main barriers to people using oral PrEP currently is the fact that they have to take tablets every day,” says Antonio Flores, MSF senior advisor on HIV and TB at the Southern Africa Medical Unit.
The organisation says its focus is on populations that are at high risk including men who sleep with other men, transgender women and sex workers.
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