Preventing HIV in women in Africa

Abstract

HIV incidence is declining globally, but around half of all new infections are in sub-Saharan Africa—where adolescent girls and young women bear a disproportionate burden of new infections. Those who sell sex are at particularly high risk. Despite declining incidence rates and availability of effective biomedical prevention tools, we are not on track, globally or in Africa, to achieve UNAIDS 2025 prevention targets. For those at risk, interventions that strengthen their motivation, capabilities and access to all available HIV prevention technologies are critical—for adolescent girls and women in particular, but also for epidemic control more broadly. Exciting possibilities for scaling up new and highly effective prevention technologies are close, but delivery, implementation and financing models need to be developed and urgently evaluated, in partnership with communities, or these opportunities may be lost. Here, we discuss the evolving landscape of biomedical prevention technologies for women in Africa, their implementation and financing, as well as priorities for HIV prevention research in this setting.