El Salvador will soon have access to a new tool in the fight against HIV: an injectable medication administered just twice a year that has shown almost 100% effectiveness in preventing infection. The announcement came from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the regional arm of the World Health Organization for the Americas.
Under the agreement, El Salvador will be able to purchase the drug through PAHO’s Revolving Funds, a mechanism that lets member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean buy vaccines and essential medicines collectively at lower, negotiated prices. This pooled-purchasing system is designed to give smaller countries access to costly or hard-to-find treatments that they might struggle to buy on their own.
The medication belongs to a newer generation of pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, treatments. Unlike the daily pills that have long been the standard for HIV prevention, this option requires only two doses per year, which health experts say could make it far easier for people to stick with the treatment and could help reduce new infections in the country.
PAHO did not provide further details on pricing or a rollout timeline for El Salvador in the initial announcement.
Want more details on this story? Check out the original report from El Diario de Hoy.
Source: El Salvador accederá a inyectable semestral que previene el VIH (El Diario de Hoy).
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