Botswana has approved the use of injectable anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs to improve adherence to HIV treatment. Minister of Health, Dr Edwin Dikoloti says the injections, given every two months, are more convenient than daily pills, which patients sometimes skip.
Minister Dikoloti said the use of injectable ARV medication will start next year, after the drug was recently approved.
“(The) Government is working on introducing the injectable anti-retroviral medication soon. Botswana has, through the professional guidance of the clinical guidelines committee, adopted the use of injectable antiretroviral medicines given every two months, for both prevention and treatment,” said Dikoloti.
Dr Dikoloti said the move will help alleviate concerns that patients are skipping their daily oral dose.
“The injectable ARVs, the formula of which comprises cabotegravir and rilpivirine, will no doubt improve adherence to the HIV treatment in our country. The cabotegravir injection has already been registered by the Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority while rilpivirine is still undergoing the registration process,” said Dikoloti.
HIV activist Bonosi Bino Segadimo said the introduction of injectable medication will not only help with compliance but could reduce the stigma associated with the virus that causes AIDS.
“I believe the injectable ARVs will help a lot of people in terms of adherence because a lot of defaulting is caused by taking a pill every day. Some say the bottles (for oral pills) draw a lot of attention on their return from their appointments at health facilities. Not everyone on (ARV) treatment has accepted their status, so it is a relief for those who find it hard to go around the medication.”
In 2019, the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute conducted clinical trials to determine the efficacy of the injectable drug. The study proved the drug is safe and highly effective for HIV prevention.
Kennedy Mupeli, a programmes officer at Centre of Youth for Hope, a Non-Governmental Organisation that targets young people living with HIV in Botswana, commented;
“As activists, we are so excited that HIV medication has actually evolved to this level. Who knows, in the near future this could be taken twice a year. It may also encourage people to test themselves because people have this phobia for daily pills,” said Mupeli.
With the world’s fourth largest prevalence of HIV infections, Botswana becomes the second country in Africa, after South Africa, to adopt the use of the injectable ARV drug.
