The government has launched an innovative program to provide HIV-negative men with event-driven pre-exposure prophylaxis (ED-PrEP) medication to prevent HIV infection. This initiative targets men who engage in infrequent, high-risk sexual encounters.
ED-PrEP involves taking two tablets before sexual activity and one tablet daily for two days afterward. The program, which began in September last year, has already attracted 4,000 participants.
Dr. Herbert Kadama, PrEP coordinator at the Ministry of Health, notes that this approach is both acceptable and convenient for men with occasional sexual partners.
While Uganda’s HIV prevalence rate has declined to 5.1%, challenges persist in ensuring infected men adhere to treatment.
Dr. Daniel Byamukama, head of HIV prevention at the Uganda AIDS Commission, emphasizes the significance of this new prevention method, particularly in reducing infections among young women.
Alarmingly, 34% of surveyed men admitted to having sex with someone outside their primary relationship, compared to 10% of women.
Byamukama expresses concern over the low uptake of other male HIV prevention methods, such as condoms and voluntary medical male circumcision.
The program aims to address these gaps and provide men with an additional HIV prevention option that doesn’t require continuous use.
A recent report revealed that Kampala Metropolitan Area (KMA) recorded 8,400 new HIV infections last year. The Kampala Metropolitan Area comprises of Kampala City, Wakiso, and Mukono districts.
Wakiso District leads with 4,900 new infections, followed by Kampala with 2,800, and Mukono with 700 cases. Health officials point to massage parlours and condom stock-outs as major contributors.
