Rwanda introduces injectable drugs in HIV fight
The Ministry of Health has introduced injectable drugs in its national interventions aimed at preventing new HIV transmission in the country, a health official said Tuesday.
Basile Ikuzo, in charge of the AIDS prevention department at the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) said that the injectable drugs are to supplement daily pills.
Instead of giving people pills, Ikuzo said cabotegravir, a single antiretroviral drug given as an intramuscular injection every two months has been introduced for use.
Initially, priority will be given to particular groups, including prostitutes, discordant couples and other vulnerable young people below 24 years at risk of contracting the virus, he added.
Cabotegravir is initiated as a first injection followed by a second injection one month after the first and then continued with an injection every two months thereafter.
Rwanda has made good progress in reducing the impact of HIV over the last over a decade after reducing new infections by 70 percent and AIDS related deaths by 60 percent, according to health officials.
The national prevalence of HIV among adults in the country stands at 2.2 percent, with prevalence high among vulnerable populations such as female sex workers at 35 percent, according to the ministry of health latest figures.
But there are almost 10 new HIV infections in Rwanda every day, involving mostly young people 18 to 20 years, according to the ministry.
