Zimbabwe has introduced an injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug as part of measures to prevent the spread of HIV in the country, a senior health official said on Thursday.
Ministry of Health HIV prevention clinical officer Idah Moyo told the state-run Herald daily that Zimbabweans could now access the injectable Cabotegravir long-acting (CAB-LA) drug at 15 demonstration sites that have been set up across the country.
The drug is an antiretroviral (ARV) designed to suppress any infection as it occurs. It is administered to HIV-negative people who have a high risk of becoming infected with the virus.
Eligible individuals who can access the PrEP are serodiscordant couples (where one partner is HIV negative), adolescent girls and young women, and pregnant and lactating women in relationships with men whose status is unknown, she said.
It is also available for people who use and inject drugs, as well as sex workers, high-risk men and the transgender community, among others.
CAB-LA is part of a cocktail of measures adopted by the Zimbabwean authorities under a study for catalysing access to new prevention products to stop HIV. Other products are the dapivirine ring and oral PrEP as HIV prevention choices for women.
HIV and AIDS remain a challenge in Zimbabwe, with a prevalence of 11.58 percent, translating into more than 1.5 million people living with HIV.
JN/APA