Brazil Achieves Milestone in HIV Fight, Yet Requires Continued Improvement
Brazil has reached a milestone in the control and prevention of the HIV virus. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is used by more than 83 thousand people in the country, 11,857 of which started in the first two months of 2024. The medicine has been available free of charge in the SUS since 2018, subject to medical supervision, according to research by Agência Diadorim. The number of people who used PrEP at least once each year jumped from 8,215 to 119,333. However, the discontinuation rate was 30%. Professor Ricardo Vasconcelos, from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMUSP), discusses the subject.
The professor says that Brazil has been present since the first large clinical trial that evaluated the protective efficacy against HIV and the safety of using PrEP. The study was a pillar to support the use of the medicine. “The fact that Brazil participated in this study opened up the possibility for the country to be present in the next steps of research into protection against HIV. So, since 2010, Brazil has been following an interesting path in this matter. Today’s numbers are the results of this work,” he comments.
Even with good results, the researcher points out that, when compared to other reference countries on the subject, Brazil still has a long way to go. “Brazil is still in its infancy. The United States, for example, is approaching 500 thousand beneficiaries. There are countries in Africa that are already beyond that,” he says.
User profile
Furthermore, the profile of Brazilian users is restricted, adds the professor: 82% are homosexuals, white or yellow, 55%, aged between 30 and 39 years, 41%, 12 years or more of education, 71%. “There are other diverse profiles who are vulnerable to HIV and who are not having access to the resource. This more educated and studied population always accesses new technologies first, we have to make an effort to make access reach further,” he explains.
The problem of discontinuity also worries the specialist. He clarifies that ensuring access to the medicine is important, but it is equally important that patients remain on treatment for the appropriate time. “It is not necessary to take the medicine for the rest of your life, but there is a suitable time for each person. Could it be that all these 30% who dropped out were people who in fact no longer needed to take PrEP? I would bet not. There are some barriers that prevent people from continuing treatment, including discrimination, long queues for access, etc.”, he comments.