Dr Pugie Tawanda Chimberengwa, OPHID Technical Director and Deputy Chief of Party (pic by Daphne Machiri)
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA recently in BULAWAYO
Health experts have urged journalists to report accurately on Lenacapavir (LEN), warning that misinformation and disinformation about the new HIV prevention option could undermine public confidence and discourage people from accessing life-saving services.
Speaking during a three-day Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) Lenacapavir and HIV Prevention media training facilitated by OPHID and Health Communicators Forum Zimbabwe (HCF) sponsored by the United States Government recently in Bulawayo, health experts said the media has a critical role to play in ensuring the public receives factual and balanced information as Zimbabwe is rolling out the long-acting HIV prevention medicine.
Dr Pugie Tawanda Chimberengwa, OPHID Technical Director and Deputy Chief of Party, warned that an “infodemic” remains one of the biggest threats to successful public health interventions.
“An infodemic is an overabundance of information, accurate or not, in the digital and physical space accompanying a health event such as an outbreak, epidemic or pharmaceutical intervention, which can lead to confusion and ultimately mistrust in governments and public health response,” said Dr Chimberengwa.
He said misinformation, disinformation and rumours often spread rapidly, especially through digital media platforms, making it difficult for people to distinguish facts from falsehoods.
Dr Chimberengwa added that people become vulnerable to infodemic, misinformation and disinformation, because of limited access to accurate and reliable information, lack of knowledge, low trust in science, belief in conspiracy theories and information overload.
“Even when information is accurate, too much of it can confuse people. Exposure to misinformation and rumours through digital media networks further fuels the infodemic,” he added.
He said journalists have a responsibility to ensure the information they publish is verified and evidence-based.
“When reporting on HIV prevention, a single misleading headline or unverified social media content can spiral into clinical distress, leading individuals to reject life-saving medical interventions,” said Dr Chimberengwa.
Dr Idah Moyo, MoHCC HIV Prevention Officer (pic by Daphne Machiri)
Meanwhile Dr Idah Moyo, the MoHCC HIV Prevention Officer, explained that Lenacapavir, commonly known as LEN, is a long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) injection medicine for HIV prevention.
“LEN is for people who are HIV-negative and at substantial risk of acquiring HIV. It is not an HIV vaccine, not HIV treatment and not a cure,” said Dr Moyo.
She said Zimbabwe is introducing LEN in phases, with priority being given to populations and districts with the greatest HIV prevention needs.
Dr Moyo said LEN expands the range of HIV prevention options available and forms part of combination HIV prevention.
“It does not replace condoms, HIV testing, antiretroviral therapy (ART), sexually transmitted infection services or other HIV prevention methods,” she said.
She explained that LEN is administered every six months after the initial dosing process.
“It starts with both tablets and injections before continuing with one injection every six months. It is important to receive the injections on time to maintain protection against HIV,” she said.
Dr Moyo said the injection is given under the skin in either the abdomen or thigh, by trained health workers using the correct medical technique.
She added that LEN is recommended for adults and adolescents weighing at least 35 kilograms who are HIV negative but are at substantial risk of acquiring HIV.
It was also revealed that people receiving LEN are encouraged to inform health workers about any medicines they are taking because some medications may interact with the drug.
And like most medicines, it is said LEN can cause side effects, although these are generally manageable.
Possible side effects include pain, injection site reactions such as swelling, redness, itching, bruising, warmth and small nodules, as well as headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting and diarrhoea.
It was also emphasized that accurate reporting by journalists will be key to helping communities understand what LEN is, who it is meant for and how it works, while reducing the spread of misinformation that could affect the country’s HIV prevention efforts.
