Kiara Health, a South African company based in Johannesburg, is set to manufacture vaginal rings designed to protect against HIV.
The Population Council announced this development, with an estimated annual production capacity of 1 million rings. These silicone rings release a drug preventing HIV infections and have received authorization from nearly a dozen countries and the World Health Organization.
Currently, around 500,000 rings are available to African women at no cost through donor support. The rings offer women discreet protection, especially in situations where partners resist other preventive measures.
HIV remains a leading cause of death among African women of reproductive age. The rings release the preventive drug dapivirine over a month, with efforts underway to develop a three-month version.
WHO recommends the ring for women at “substantial risk of HIV,” receiving regulatory approval in over a dozen African countries. Activists previously called for donor support during a major AIDS meeting.
This development represents a significant step in HIV prevention efforts, potentially impacting women’s health across the continent.
