A new HIV prevention method, a vaginal ring that delivers an antiretroviral drug, will soon be introduced in South Africa, one of the world’s hardest hit countries by AIDS, the Global AIDS Fund announced Friday.
Three organizations fighting AIDS in South Africa have ordered 16,000 rings, which will be available in the coming months, according to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Inspired by female contraceptives, the silicone vaginal ring gradually releases an antiretroviral agent, dapivirine, and must be changed every month.
“We believe this new ring can have a revolutionary impact on the prevention of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus that destroys immune defenses),” Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands said in a press release.
The ring represents an alternative to other preventative treatments or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which have revolutionized prevention against the AIDS virus in recent years.
These other treatments include taking one tablet per day or one injection per month, methods that are not necessarily suitable for all target groups, explain South African prevention organizations.
“Women need access to a range of safe and effective solutions, including the dapivirine ring, so they can adopt the one that suits them best,” emphasizes Ntombenhle Mkhize, President of the AIDS Foundation. “South Africa.
In 2023, women and adolescent girls will account for 53% of infections worldwide, according to UNAIDS.
In South Africa, 13.7% of people are still living with HIV, one of the highest rates in the world.
But more than 5.4 million of the estimated 8.2 million infected are taking antiretroviral drugs, one of the world’s largest HIV treatment programs that has dramatically reduced mortality.
Recent clinical trials have shown that the dapivirine vaginal ring, a device approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), can reduce the risk of seroconversion – going from HIV negative to HIV – by 35%. HIV positive.
“We hope that many other countries will follow South Africa’s example,” added Peter Sands of the Global Fund.
In addition to South Africa, the device has also been approved and undergone introductory studies in several other African countries, including Uganda, Kenya and Zimbabwe.