What’s the use of anti-HIV injections when those who need it most can’t use it?

In an article for the Mail & Guardian, Yogan Pillay, Francois Venter and Fatima Hassan examine access to the HIV pre-exposure prohpylaxis (PrEP) drug CAB-LA in Sub-Saharan Africa, drawing on results from the Foundation's 2021 Access to Medicine Index.

Administered bi-monthly, the new PrEP injection CAB-LA is more effective than oral treatments, the authors state.

Yet, the article outlines, the drug is currently unavailable in countries where HIV is most prevalant.

"Even in a high-income country such as the US, modelling studies have shown that the potential public health benefit of CAB-LA is jeopardised by its cost," the authors note.

The article draws on the Foundation's 2021 Access to Medicine Index to argue that a lack of access to essential medicines is more widespread. "The 2021 [Access to Medicine Index] found that only eight companies implemented ways to make it easier to get medicine. In poorer countries, less than half of the most needed medicines were available."

Read the full article in the Mail & Guardian and find more results of the 2021 Access to Medicine Index here.