CHeRA launch initiative on equitable access to long-acting HIV prevention

By Martha Chikoti

Community Health Rights Advocacy (CHeRA), with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP0 under the Power of Prevention programme, has launched an 18-month initiative to strengthen equitable access to long-acting HIV prevention in Malawi.

The project will be implemented in four districts of Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu, and Mangochi, focusing on improving facility readiness, community accountability, and sustainable financing for LA-PrEP for key populations.

Speaking in an interview, Programs Manager for CHeRA Alex Kaomba said there is a need to scale up community sensitization to help narrow the gap that responds to persistent disparities in HIV prevention access despite the national adoption of LA-PrEP.

When asked if the project provides clinical services, Kaomba stated that it only strengthens systems, accountability, and policy engagement.

“Long-acting PrEP is a breakthrough, but access depends on system readiness. However, prevention must be treated as a long-term public investment through community-led evidence that strengthens prevention outcomes,” he explained.

District Medical Officer for Mzimba North Shadreck Mzimba Ngwira noted that the district is among those with a high HIV prevalence rate, as it is a fast-growing city with many activities happening.

Malawi has adopted long-acting HIV prevention tools, but access remains uneven.

As a way of bridging the gap, the projects focus on working with communities, health authorities, and policymakers to improve readiness, reduce stigma, and support sustainable HIV prevention.

The project expected to cost MWK66 million strengthens health system accountability, supports facility readiness assessments, and enables evidence-based advocacy to ensure prevention innovations reach populations most affected by HIV.