PrEP programme to reduce HIV rates to be rolled out later this year

THE PrEP HIV prevention programme will be implemented in 2019, Health Minister Simon Harris said today.

The pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment is the most recent development in the field of HIV prevention, and sees patients pre-emptively take a fixed dose of oral medication.

As part of a PrEP programme, service-users are also monitored for side effects, tested for HIV and other STIs, and given counselling and advice on safer sex practices.

Health Minister Simon Harris said following the formal advice from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) that such a programme would be safe, effective and cost saving, he plans to roll it out this year.

In April, HIQA said the introduction of a PrEP programme to reduce HIV rates in Ireland would be cheaper than current care.

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