The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, launched, on Wednesday morning, a Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Campaign during a one-day workshop on PrEP which was held at the Ravenala Attitude Hotel in Balaclava.
In his address, Minister Jagutpal highlighted that the objective of the workshop is to familiarise nursing officers and representatives of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) on the use of PrEP, which is a medicine taken in form of tablets to prevent being contaminated by HIV/AIDS. He indicated that the workshop also aims at raising awareness among the medical staff so that they encourage people at risk to follow a PrEP treatment in a bid to protect themselves against HIV-AIDS.
The Minister pointed out that PrEP is highly effective in the prevention of HIV/AIDS when taken as prescribed as it reduces the risk of contracting the virus from sexual intercourse by about 99% and from injection of drugs by at least 74%. He also underlined that the PrEP treatment prevents a person who is positive to HIV/AIDS from infecting another one and this contributes to a better understanding in a family, for instance.
Furthermore, Dr Jagutpal underscored that the goal of his Ministry, in line with the international policy of the World Health Organization, is to expand prevention for those at risk and for the general population, as well as to increase the possibilities of screening for HIV/AIDS. He emphasised that his Ministry will soon come up with a new healthcare protocol, through a One-Stop-Shop. As such, treatment for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, sexually transmitted diseases, and for drug users, will be available in at same Health Care Centre, he added.
Minister Jagutpal also informed that his Ministry, in a bid to be more effective against the spread of HIV/AIDS, has already finalised a National HIV Action Plan 2023-2027 and same will soon be presented to Cabinet. This action plan, he stated, will consider the point of view of all stakeholders so that we reach our goal of Zero new HIV/AIDS infections, Zero Deaths, and Zero Stigma and Discrimination by 2030.
Moreover, he remarked that his Ministry, as far as HIV/AIDS is concerned, aims to carry out quality prevention, and to increase the capacity to detect and provide the necessary treatment and support not only to populations at risk but also to all Mauritians. He thus appealed to the collaboration of all health personnel, NGOs and the population in general so as to attain the Ministry’s objectives.
