Tanzania starts trials for HIV preventive pills

Dar es Salaam. The government has started trials of pills that can prevent one from contracting HIV. However, it emphasized that there was still no known cure for Aids. The preventive treatment, known medically as Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was launched as part of Tanzania’s fourth Health Sector HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan (HSHSP IV 2017-2022).

The pills, if taken daily for seven days, can help a person not to contract HIV if that person has intercourse with another who is already infected. But, the condition is; the pills should be taken for seven consecutive days ahead of intercourse and then continue taking the pills for as long as that person will be at risk of contracting the virus.

The Deputy Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dr Faustine Ndugulile said on Wednesday that the trails are part of Tanzania’s long-term measures to curb HIV and Aids. It has also come at a time the country is marking 30 years of the HIV and AIDS Prevention Plan.

‘There have been reports that we are launching a cure for Aids. It’s not true. There is still no known cure for Aids,’’ he emphasized.

“What we have launched is a preventive medicine, and this is meant for groups of people who are at high risk of contracting HIV. The pills will help such people not to contract HIV. We are also making trials and the drug is not yet available on market,’’ he added.

The pills are known to prevent HIV infection by 99 percent. They are already rolled out in some Sub-Saharan countries such as South Africa and Kenya.

Several clinical trials among various populations, including men who have sex with men, and heterosexual men and women, have shown that PrEP is highly effective in reducing the risk of HIV acquisition.

Based on this evidence, in September 2015, World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that people at substantial risk of HIV infection should be offered PrEP as an additional prevention choice, as part of comprehensive prevention.