Funded by the Global Fund to Fight HIV

Ongoing research into HIV/AIDS continues to bolster prevention efforts, now enhanced by a new treatment option.

In Madagascar, it is now possible to prevent HIV/AIDS through medication. This prevention strategy, known as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), involves taking a preventive drug. « This is a pill similar to antiretroviral drugs but contains different molecules. It is recommended for HIV-negative individuals to reduce the risk of infection », explains Marie Isabelle, president of the NGO Mad’Aids, during the HIV/AIDS testing week.

According to Michaela Müller-Trutwin, a researcher at the Institut Pasteur, PrEP effectively blocks the replication of the HIV. In an educational video on HIV/AIDS, she notes that PrEP can be taken before engaging in high-risk sexual activity. This preventive treatment, when followed consistently, is highly effective, reducing the risk of contracting HIV by approximately 99 % during sexual intercourse and by at least 74 % in cases of syringe sharing.

However, access to this treatment remains limited. Victoria Johnson Firinga, Executive Director of the NGO Réseau Mad’Aids, explains that PrEP is primarily intended for key populations at heightened risk of HIV, including individuals with multiple sexual partners, sex workers, and seropositive individuals. This treatment is funded by the Global Fund to Fight HIV and is provided free of charge.