Access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) services is expected to improve in Thyolo and Mulanje districts following the training of 50 health workers by the Girls Empowerment Network (GENET) to strengthen HIV prevention services.
GENET District Project Coordinator, Charles Nyerere, said the organisation, with support from the Global Fund through World Vision Malawi, is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to train additional PrEP providers across various health facilities in the two districts.
The initiative aims at helping girls, women and young people protect themselves from HIV infection before exposure.
According to health experts, PrEP is a highly effective HIV prevention method for HIV-negative individuals, taken either as a daily pill or a periodic injection.
When taken as prescribed, the medication reduces the risk of acquiring HIV through sexual transmission by about 99 percent and significantly lowers the risk among people who inject drugs.
Director of Health Services for Thyolo, Dr. Milliam Jere Nyasulu, commended GENET for the initiative, saying it will help reduce new HIV infections, especially among young people and women.
Dr Nyasulu urged the trained health workers to utilise the knowledge gained to expand access to PrEP services, particularly in rural communities where the services are often limited.
By Yohane Chizomola, Thyolo
