The Ministry of Health and Social Services is rolling out a more effective medicine for children living with HIV/Aids between the ages of four weeks to five years.

According to a press statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry said it started rolling out the new medicine called Pediatric Dolutegravir (pDTG) (also known as Dolutegravir 10mg) in July 2021.

The statement further highlighted that by the end of June 2021, Namibia had about 183 576 people enrolled for HIV and AIDS treatment. Of these, 724 are children below the age of four.

“Until recently, Dolutegravir was only used for the older population and was not available for young children as the medicine did not come in smaller doses. The 10mg version is now available, which provides the right treatment for young children between four weeks up to 5 years old,” the statement reads, adding that with the new medicine, Namibia will transition from the Lopinavir granules formulation, which is currently given to children, to pDTG which has proven to be more effective in suppressing the viral load in children living with HIV/Aids.

“The roll out of this medicine is part and parcel of ongoing efforts by the ministry to ensure that flagship programmes in the public healthcare delivery continue to be strengthened despite the challenges posed by COVID-19,” the statement said, adding that the ministry is currently in the process of finalising the logistics to ensure that the medication is accessible countrywide.

Source: Namibia Press Agency