New telehealth platform for HIV prevention
Pre-exposure prophylaxis
What you need to know:
- One study published in the scientific journal Plos One showed that young people, especially those already living with HIV/AIDS, feel safe when they get disclosure support or receive care at a high level facility.
- Studies show that PrEP use is necessary and should not be stigmatised, but encouraged by healthcare providers especially to at-risk populations like sex workers.
Are you afraid of going to a hospital to get counsel on HIV prevention methods? Study shows that most youth become apprehensive when told to go to a hospital for any HIV related service.
One study published in the scientific journal Plos One showed that young people, especially those already living with HIV/AIDS, feel safe when they get disclosure support or receive care at a high level facility.
Digital tools, however, are becoming the new cool. A local online pharmacy platform called My Dawa has launched its first telehealth solution that is specifically used for HIV prevention. The encrypted platform will see to it that customers who wish to have Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) online can do so by just ordering the medicine virtually using My Dawa’s application.
PrEP is a medicine that can be taken daily by people who are at risk of acquiring HIV. PEP, on the other hand, is a medicine that can be taken by people immediately after possibly being exposed to HIV to reduce the risk of getting the virus.
The e-pharmacy platform received a grant of USD 1.2Million (About Sh145million) with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Reverse trends
Other partners who steered forward the project include the University of Washington, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Fred Hutch Cancer Research Centre, Jhpiego and Audere.
The service has received research endorsement from the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the University of Washington.
“This grant is an endorsement of My Dawa’s ability and the crucial role the company is playing at the forefront of providing access to simple and affordable self-tests for HIV and pregnancy, alongside an extensive range of sexual and reproductive health products,” said a statement from My Dawa.
Studies show that PrEP use is necessary and should not be stigmatised, but encouraged by healthcare providers especially to at-risk populations like sex workers.
“It is necessary to address the identified barriers as adolescent girls and young women remain at high risk for newly acquired HIV infections. The continued implementation and successful scale-up of PrEP services is critical to reverse the trends of ongoing HIV transmission among adolescent girls and young women in Kenya and other populations in similar settings,” explained a study published by BMC Public Health.
