The Anambra State Ministry of Health over the weekend, flagged off the roll-out of Lenacapavir (LEN PrEP), a long-acting injectable for the prevention of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV.
The injectable is a pre-exposure medication for those at high risk of contracting the virus, and is to be taken only twice a year.
The medication will be available at centres including Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku-Awka; Federal Medical Centre, Onitsha; Comprehensive Health Centre, Neni; Comprehensive Health Centre, Ukpo; Trauma Centre, Oba; and One Stop Shop, Awka.
Speaking at the launch of the medication held at the COOUTH Amaku-Awka, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, described the programme as a critical intervention in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
He revealed that HIV statistics in Anambra State appear high partly because more residents are embracing regular testing and becoming aware of their HIV status.
Obidike said prevention remained one of the strongest tools in combating HIV transmission, warning against diversion or commercialisation of the medication.
“We appreciate Gov. Chukwuma Soludo for supporting healthcare reforms and expanding access to lifesaving medical services in the state,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Maureen Umeakuewulu, Chief Medical Director, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital (COOUTH), described the rollout as timely amid rising HIV cases among adolescents.
Umeakuewulu stressed the importance of preventive healthcare and applauded the Federal Government for including Anambra among the states selected for the programme, and the Anambra State Government for meeting the requirement for the programme launch in the state.
“It is important to recognize that the proactiveness of the Anambra State Government under the leadership of Governor Chukwuma Soludo attracted this programme. HIV is a global health challenge and the figures in Anambra are quite something to worry about. But, with what the government is doing now in the preventive area, the figures will soon start coming down,” Umeakuewulu enthused.
Earlier in her presentation, the Programme Manager, Anambra State AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme, Dr. Tonia Mbagwu, disclosed that the state currently has an HIV prevalence rate of 2.4 per cent, the highest in the South-East region.
She said more than 56,000 residents were currently living with HIV, underscoring the urgent need for behavioural, structural and biomedical interventions to curb the spread of the virus.
“There is a UNAID Sustainable Development Goal, which Nigeria has subscribed to, that by the year 2030, we should have achieved 95% elimination of HIV in the state.
“But looking at the data, we are far from achieving that target. We are still at 70%.
“If you give drugs to those positive, they will come down, but it is not enough.
“We want to eliminate new infections because people are getting infected on a daily basis,” Mbagwu emphasized.
According to her, the programme launch is to bring down the HIV numbers in the state by targeting non-positive persons.
“This is a Pre-exposure Prophylaxis medication for those at high risk of contracting HIV. Before now, we had PeP, Post-exposure Prophylaxis, taken for 28 days, used for those exposed to infection within 0-72 hours.
“But what we introduced now is taking the prevention initiative a step higher, where people take the medication before their exposure to HIV.
“In the HIV space, we continue to innovate. After the oral prep taken every day, we came up with the injectable taken every 2 months. We then discovered that the people are becoming fatigued and that’s why we brought in this one, taken only twice a year. We hope that after now, we will start having PReP medication that will take one for up-to five years,” she said.
Dr Mbagwu said the medication is for high-risk people who are exposed to HIV, such as sex workers, gay and transgender persons, drug users who exchange syringes, serum discordant couples, healthcare workers exposed to contracting HIV, among others.
On whether the use of the medication means discarding contraceptives such as condoms, the medical expert clarified that they are looking at combination therapy, and integration.
“As much as we are after HIV, we want to ensure that other sexually-transmitted infections are curtailed.
“PReP prevents the transmission of HIV, but it will not stop one from contracting candidiasis, hepatitis B and other sexually-transmitted infections. That’s why we advise a combination mechanism involving condoms and the PReP,” she noted.
