COLOMBO, Oct 14 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka plans to introduce a new injectable HIV-prevention drug in early 2027 as it steps up efforts to curb rising infections, reported Xinhua.
Dr Nimali Jayasuriya, a consultant venereologist at the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP), said on Wednesday that the move would support the country’s goal of eliminating HIV as a public health threat by 2030.
Jayasuriya said Sri Lanka planned to import injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which would be administered twice a year.
She said the country was working to overcome existing barriers and strengthen prevention efforts as it pursued the goal of eliminating HIV as a public health threat by 2030.
According to figures released by the NSACP, Sri Lanka recorded 874 new HIV infections in 2025, while a further 487 cases were reported in the first six months of 2026.
The NSACP said the increase in new infections in Sri Lanka came amid a broader global decline, with new HIV infections worldwide having fallen by about 65 per cent since 1994.
Jayasuriya said the introduction of injectable PrEP would form part of efforts to strengthen HIV prevention and reduce new infections in the country.
-- BERNAMA-XINHUA
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