Exploring the potential of dapivirine vaginal ring for HIV prevention in Namibia: a call to action

Abstract

The recent recommendation by the World Health organization for the use of the dapivirine vaginal ring as a promising safe, efficacious and alternate choice for HIV prevention among women at significant risk of infection presents a welcome development for countries hard hit by HIV especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Namibia, there is paucity of evidence on whether this novel HIV prevention strategy would be acceptable among those women at elevated risk of acquiring the virus. This paper provides a discourse on the opportunities and potential challenges in introducing the dapivirine vaginal ring on a large scale in the country.