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negative, a study has revealed.

Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) trials conducted by University of Washington’s International Clinical Research Centre on 4 758 discordant couples (in which one person had HIV infection and the other did not) in Kenya and Uganda revealed that a daily dosage of ARVs can prevent one from getting the virus.
The study (PrEP) showed that taking Truvada or Tenofovir alone reduced the risk of HIV infection by between 62 and 73 percent.

Health experts welcomed the development, but said Zimbabwe was at the moment battling to put all people in need on ARV treatment.
Experts in HIV treatment and organisations representing people living with HIV and Aids say it would not make sense for the Government to introduce the new programme but to focus on the growing need of ART in the country.

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Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Welfare Dr David Parirenyatwa yesterday said the results were welcome, but the challenge was to put all the people in need on ARVs before moving towards using the drugs for PrEP.
“Yes, the study is welcome but for future use. The results have been verified but are yet to be implemented as a programme and we will see when that begins.

“At the moment the country is emphasising on the Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and will have to wait for recommendation by the world bodies such as UNAids and WHO on the way forward.
“However, our circumstances are different because we still have a huge gap of people already in need of the drugs for treatment.
“The target number is plus 600 000, but we are only at plus or minus 350 000, leaving a huge number in need of urgent treatment,” said Dr Parirenyatwa, a former Health Minister.

However, doctors said the research would be welcome as it prevented the further spread of the disease.
Zimbabwe Nurses Association secretary-general, Mr Simangaliso Mafa, said it was good work in progress that would help in reducing incidence of transmission of the virus to those working in high-risk areas.
“These are still studies and have not been implemented anywhere but they will be most welcome. As Zina we want any intervention that we can offer to our people.

“The research is like the ones that gave us PMTCT, ART and male circumcision and is worth trying in this fight against the disease. We are happy that we are moving forward and watching with keen interest,” he said.

Health professionals such as nurses, doctors and paramedics are at risk of contracting HIV due to the nature of their work.
Soldiers also fall in this group.

However, ZNNP+ Harare provincial spokesperson, Ms Evelyn Chamisa, said drugs should be used to help boost the immune systems of people living with HIV.
“We recommend only people living with HIV to take ARVs and not those who are negative.

“They have a reaction in the body, which is to fight disease that is why it is recommended that one has to be tested first before taking the drug so that the person can be given ARVs suitable for his or her body,” said Ms Chamisa.

She said ARVs had side effects to users and shuddered to think what would happen to negative people taking them.
Ms Chamisa concurred with Dr Parirenyatwa that Zimbabwe did not have enough drugs to go that route yet.

“Negative people should fight to remain negative because they can use condoms and other methods that can prevent them from being positive and this will reduce the number of people who are in need of the ARVs,” she said.

An official with Medecins Sans Frontieres, Spain in Zimbabwe, said if implemented the use of ARVs in PrEP would definitely see demand for ARVs increasing enormously.
“The priority must be to enroll more people on treatment through task shifting and decentralisation.

“Focus of our prevention is on the community through condom distribution and raising awareness at community level about HIV transmission, treatment and care and including preventive messages,” he said.
According to the Centre for Disease Control in the United States, the study found out that a dose tablet of tenofovir, disoproxil, fumarate and Truvada reduced the risk of acquiring HIV infection by roughly 63 percent in the study of population of uninfected heterosexual men and women.

The report, however, warned that PrEP should never be seen as the first line of defence against HIV but was effective in clinical trials when provided in combination with regular HIV testing and needed to be used in consultation with a doctor.

Researchers in Zimbabwe this week joined the rest of the HIV prevention research world in celebrating the release prevention study results – Partners Prevention and CDC TDF 2 study results.
Principal Investigator in Zimbabwe and VOICE Protocol Chair, Professor Zvavahera Chirenje of the University of Zimbabwe said in a statement the results were a breakthrough in efforts to prevent contracting HIV by those in high exposure situation.

He said VOICE was testing not only daily use of an ARV tablet, Truvada or Tenofovir, but also a vaginal microbicide containing tenofovir in gel form.