Kenyan health-tech startup MYDAWA launches online platform to help in HIV prevention
Kenyan health-tech startup MYDAWA famous for its e-pharmacy platform has launched the first Kenyan online solution for HIV prevention.
The end-to-end virtual healthcare solution gives customers access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) online. The product was developed through a $1.2 million funding support from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in partnership with the University of Washington, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Fred Hutch Cancer Research Centre, Jhpiego and Audere.
PrEP is a medicine that can be proactively taken daily by people who are at ongoing risk of acquiring HIV. PEP is a medicine that people can take immediately after possibly being exposed to HIV to reduce the risk of getting HIV.
According to MYDAWA, approximately 38 million people worldwide are living with HIV, with close to 21 million in Eastern and Southern Africa.
Rampant cases of stigmatization of people living with HIV lead to low visits to healthcare facilities where they can get help.
The service has received research approval from the Kenya Medical Research Institute and the University of Washington.
“This grant is an endorsement of MYDAWA’s ability and the crucial role the company is playing at the forefront of providing access to simple and affordable self-tests for HIV and pregnancy, alongside an extensive range of sexual and reproductive health products,” the company said in a statement.
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