LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Ministry of Health has announced the roll out of HIV injection Pre
Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce further spread of the pandemic.
In a statement signed by the Secretary to the ministry of health Samson Mndolo said recently Malawi adopted the use of Long Acting Injectable PrEP as
one of the tools to accelerate elimination of HIV as a public health threat by 2030.
Mndolo said the long injectable PrEP will be available a in six health facilities in the country.
The health facilities for PrEP accessibility including Blantyre (Chilomoni Health Centre), Limbe (MACRO )and Naperi (Drop in Centre)and three health facilities in Lilongwe, Area 25 Health Centre, Bwaila Hospital and Area 47 Drop in Centre).
Mdolo however said new HIV infections are still being reported in some high risk and priority populations including female sex workers, adolescent girls and young women, pregnant and breast feeding women, hence a need for more preventive strategies to further reduce the HIV transmission in the country .
He said the introduction of PrEP is part of the implementation study ‘Path to Scale
implementation Science Study on Long Acting Injectable Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis’ which was
launched in Lilongwe, in partnership with the U.S.
He adds, “The findings from this initial implementation study in the mentioned six health facilities will provide the most practical, efficient, equitable and effective strategies of delivering the injectable PrEP before scaling up to additional 41 selected health facilities across the country.
“Malawi has made significant progress in the HIV response as demonstrated by the overall reduction
by half of HIV incidence from 0.40% in 2015/16 to 0.20%in 2020/2021, according to the Malawi
Population Based HIV Assessment Survey (MPHIA)”.
He therefore said the the Ministry of Health and implementing partners have been delivering HIV combination prevention interventions in public, private and CHAM health facilities across the country.
“Some of the preventable measures of HIV transmission include Oral Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), condoms, Post-Exposure prophylaxis (PEP, Voluntary Medical Male circumcision and prevention of
mother to child transmission,” said Mndolo.
The project is sponsored by President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Center for Innovation in Global Health at Georgetown University.
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