Zimbabwe has approved a long-acting injectable drug to prevent HIV infection, becoming the first country in Africa to use the anti-retroviral drug.
Medicines Control Authority in Zimbabwe head of evaluations and registration Farai Masekela said the drug is called Cabotegravir and is the first injectable of its kind in the world.
“It’s essentially an antiretroviral which is injected into the bloodstream of patients to try and stop them from acquiring HIV,” Masekela said.
The long-acting injectable cabotegravir is used for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of getting HIV in people who are HIV negative.
The official said the target population for the long-acting injection is any adults or adolescents who weigh around 35 kilogrammes.
“We are looking at those populations who we would consider at risk of getting HIV.”
The injectable is expected to assist the HIV fight in Zimbabwe, which has an 11.6-percent prevalence rate.
Regulators in Australia and the United States have already given their backing to use the long-acting injectable.
JN/APA