A study conducted in Kenya and Uganda reveales that proper use of a new antiretroviral drug can reduce infection by 75% among discodant couples and 40% among hormosexuals.
World Health Organisation (WHO) says that people who are at a high risk of contracting the HIV virus could be protected if they adhered to new guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs issued by WHO.
This new set of guidelines will protect health workers, discordant couples, sex workers and babies, all of whom are at a high risk of getting infected with HIV virus.
These new guidelines are based on clinical trials in the UK indicating that a daily dose of oral antiretroviral medication, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), taken by HIV-negative people to reduce the risk of infection, is both safe for people to use and effective in preventing HIV.
WHO recommends that countries intending to introduce PrEP should first establish small projects to help public health workers better understand and realise PrEP potential benefits in preventing transmission of HIV.
Also public health workers should identify the most vulnerable groups at risk of contracting HIV for which ARVS should be given and ascertain the best ways to deliver the services to them.
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