The Kenyan government plans to roll out a HIV prevention drug that will be taken by HIV negative people who are at risk of getting infected.
This is after pilot studies conducted in Kenya and Uganda showed that if taken once daily, the drugs can prevent HIV infection by more than 96 per cent.
The drug, known as Pre-exposure Prophylaxis will thus be administered daily to those at high risk of contracting the virus before being made accessible to the rest of the Kenyan population later.
The drug works by forming a coat around the human body cells, thus preventing the HIV virus from attaching to the cells, ultimately being able to fight off the HIV virus.
Researchers have reported that if used consistently, the drug can significantly reduce the risk of getting infected with HIV from unprotected sex.
Kenya is the second country after South Africa to roll out the program said to reduce the risk of HIV infection in people who are at high risk by up to 92 per cent if taken consistently.
The targeted population for the roll-out include discordant couples, where the HIV-negative partner can be put on the drug, people with multiple sexual partners, individuals who have had sexually transmitted infections (STIs), people who inject drugs, people who have had recurrent use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), sex workers and those who do not use condoms consistently.
