Nairobi News

LifeNews

You can now buy HIV self-testing kit from chemists for Sh700


The government has launched a two-pronged approached on the war on HIV by introducing PrEP, a HIV prevention drug for people at risk and a self-test kit.

The kit will, for now, be available in private facilities at a cost of between Sh700 and Sh800.

Users will be able to take samples of their blood or oral swabs for test. If it turns positive, they will need to go to a health facility for a confirmation test.

DRIVE DOWN THE COST

Known in full as Pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP is when people at very high risk for HIV take HIV medicines daily to lower their chances of getting infected.

The drug will be procured from three manufacturers, with the parent manufacturer of the drug known as Truvada providing a generic version too.

This is meant to drive down the cost of the drug, according to the Director of Medical Services Dr Jackson Kioko.

PrEP will cost Sh3,600 a month for those who will choose to buy, although it is a prescription-only drug.

“It is supposed to be taken daily until such a time that the person is determined to be out of risk of infection,” said Dr Kioko.