Zambia is off track in meeting its HIV prevention targets, with the country still recording an estimated 29,000–30,000 new HIV infections annually far above the less than 5,000 new infections Zambia had committed to achieving by 2025, authorities have said.
Infectious Disease and Internal Medicine Specialist at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Professor Lloyd Mulenga said the numbers raised an uncomfortable but necessary question on whether the current HIV prevention approaches were enough.
Mulenga raised the concern at the Sustainable Community-Driven Approaches for Lenacapavir (SCALE-IT) stakeholders meeting held at Sandy’s Creation in Lusaka on Monday.
He noted that new HIV infections were outpacing AIDS-related deaths, with an incidence to mortality ratio of 1.87.
“A ratio above 1 indicates that the epidemic is not yet under control.This is where innovation becomes critical,” Mulenga said.
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He stated that to get back on track, Zambia would need to reduce new HIV infections by about 23 percent annually, almost three times the current pace of 9.5 percent.
Mulenga added that the proposed pharmacy-based PrEP delivery model could create additional access points for HIV prevention, bringing PrEP closer to the people who need it.
“However, stakeholders have always emphasized that implementation must be structured, lawful and centred on patient safety,” he noted.
During the meeting, Zambia Medical Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) also highlighted the importance of strengthening pharmacovigilance, including tracking adverse effects.
Civil society welcomed the model and committed to creating demand for PrEP but rightly stressed one important point: the commodity must be available.
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