BY: NOBUHLE LAGAMA ZOZO
South Africa has now reportedly reached the 8 million mark of people living with HIV, with a majority of those infected being between the ages of 15 and 25, thus maintaining the highest HIV infection rate in the world, according to the Department of Health in South Africa.
Despite significant progress in the fight against HIV and widespread awareness of how the virus is transmitted and prevented, infection rates continue to rise. The pandemic is expected to resurge, particularly in light of the 90-day freeze of the US foreign aid, including funding from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). According to UNAIDS, this sudden USAID fund cut has led to the termination of numerous health projects in the country, resulting in job losses and reductions in HIV testing, care, and treatment services, leaving vulnerable groups at heightened risk.
However, there is hope. South Africa continues to explore new interventions to curb the epidemic, including CAB-LA.
Dr. Djoki Joseph Bahati from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) explains that CAB-LA (cabotegravir long-acting) is an injectable form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) used to prevent HIV infection. Rather than stopping the virus from replicating, CAB-LA works by blocking HIV from integrating its genetic material into human cells after exposure, thereby preventing infection from taking hold. Administered once every two months, it offers a discreet and convenient alternative for individuals who may find it challenging to take daily oral PrEP.
As South Africa continues its fight against the pandemic, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Roland Lamola, in his speech earlier this year, reminded the nation of the importance of continuing to fight against the pandemic relentlessly, especially without depending on foreign aid this time. “We owe it to ourselves and future generations to build a robust, self-sufficient, sustainable health infrastructure. The gains we have made over the last two decades are fragile,” he cautioned.
