PHOTO: [COURTESY]
Women in Kenya will receive a donation of vaginal rings designed to prevent HIV infection for one month. The ring is inserted into the vagina for 28 days, during which it gradually releases the antiretroviral drug dapivirine. This drug helps prevent HIV infection. The ring was approved for use in Kenya last year.
The donation is being made through the Global Fund, which has received $2 million from the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) to purchase 150,000 rings for countries benefiting from Global Fund grants.
Women in Kenya are disproportionately affected by HIV. Of the 1.4 million Kenyans living with HIV, approximately 880,000 are women, according to the Ministry of Health. This is partly due to a lack of accessible and self-controlled prevention methods that do not require partner cooperation.
Miles Kemplay, head of sexual and reproductive health and rights at CIFF, stated, “The PrEP ring provides women and girls with a discreet option that is entirely within their control. Historically, high costs have made this option inaccessible. This partnership is the first step toward making the market more sustainable and increasing access for those in need.”
Currently, the ring costs about Sh1,500 for one month of use. Global Fund and CIFF announced that their partnership, starting in October, aims to encourage broader use of the PrEP ring. They also plan to work with other partners, including Unitaid, to develop a three-month PrEP ring and/or an African-manufactured version.
The ring’s manufacturer is already working on a new version that will last three months. This version is expected to cost less than Sh2,000, excluding distribution, representing a nearly 60 percent reduction in price per month.
Peter Sands, executive director of the Global Fund, remarked, “In many parts of the world, new HIV infection rates among adolescent girls and young women are more than three times higher than among adolescent boys and young men. This is unacceptable. We believe this new PrEP ring can make a significant impact. Girls and women have expressed desire for this option, and today’s announcement is a step toward meeting that need.”
In addition to Kenya, the PrEP ring has been approved in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The World Health Organization has recommended the ring since 2021 as an additional prevention choice for women at substantial risk of HIV infection as part of a comprehensive prevention strategy.
Global Fund and CIFF have been collaborating to combat HIV since 2015 when CIFF committed $10 million to support pediatric HIV treatment and expand access to treatment in Kenya and Zimbabwe. In 2022, CIFF pledged $33 million to the Global Fund to support increased access to PrEP and PEP in Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia.
However, the ring provides only moderate protection against HIV and does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections. Studies have shown that the dapivirine ring, the first long-acting HIV prevention tool designed specifically for women, is moderately effective. It was shown to reduce HIV risk by approximately 30 percent in two randomized controlled trials, with later studies indicating a risk reduction of about 40 to 60 percent.
The developer withdrew its application for approval in the U.S. market in 2021 after the Food and Drug Administration indicated that the ring’s efficacy might be insufficient for approval.
