In an effort to stop the spread of new HIV infections, the Ministry of Health has started to promote the use of vaginal rings among women.
Speaking during the program’s introduction, the acting director general of the ministry of health, Patrick Amoth, said that women were the program’s primary objective because they account for over a third of all new infections.
Scientists are now looking at additional developments like injectable PrEP and vaginal rings that they feel may provide better new HIV prevention and treatment solutions as there is currently no HIV vaccine in sight.
As Kenya struggles with less financing for the health sector, Dr. Amoth emphasized the importance of the country using indigenous solutions for HIV prevention.
Amoth further indicated that country’s donor funding for HIV-related programs has declined to 18% from 32% prompting the need to activate local innovations to manage the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
“Ours is now to prioritize how we can put more investment into HIV prevention and other public health inventions but also to be able to develop inventions that will be able to give us more health according to every shilling that we spend in these activities and you know in preventive when you spend one dollar then you are able to save 14 dollars,” said Amoth.
In a 5 year study that will be conducted across six facilities in Kisumu, Nairobi and Mombasa counties, women aged 18 and above will be issued with a vaginal ring.
The ring that is made of silicon material can be inserted by the user and will be releasing regulated amounts of an antiretroviral drug dapivirine over a 28-day period, offering protection against HIV.
The ministry is however still working with sector players, to develop more preventive technologies against the virus
“We are trying to look at a product which can prevent pregnancy and prevent HIV because we are seeing a lot of young women being more afraid of getting pregnant than actually contracting HIV. There is also the injectable that is long term we are looking at almost every six months that is currently being tried out there are also pills that are coming so we have quite a lot that we still have in the pipeline,” said Patricia Jeckonia, Country Director, LVCT.
Dr. Amoth added: “Infections have been rising especially among the youth and the adolescent population and therefore we need to do this study to inform us in terms of policy development and also new interventions that we need to put in place in order to break the cycle of new HIV infections.
The rings will be available in the six earmarked facilities by end of June after they receive clearance from the Kenya Pharmacy and Poisons Board.
