Health Correspondent
Zimbabwe is set to participate in an Africa-led Phase 3 clinical trial testing long-acting injectable HIV treatment as a way of preventing mother-to-child transmission of the virus during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The Supporting Programmatic Maternal Viral Suppression with Long-Acting Therapy (SUPPRESS-LA) trial will be conducted in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Uganda, with enrolment expected to begin in early 2027.
The study, led and sponsored by the Africa Clinical Research Network (ACRN) with funding from the Gates Foundation, will assess whether long-acting antiretroviral therapy (ART) can maintain viral suppression in women during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding.
Zimbabwe has made significant progress in reducing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, with the rate falling from more than 20 percent in the early 2000s to 6.4 percent in 2024.
However, the rate remains above the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNAIDS elimination target of below five percent.
UNAIDS Spectrum modelling indicates that about 40 percent of the remaining infant HIV infections in Zimbabwe occur after birth during breastfeeding, making the postnatal period a key area for intervention.
While daily oral ART can effectively suppress HIV and prevent transmission, maintaining adherence after childbirth can be difficult because of childcare responsibilities, work, stigma and limited access to healthcare.
The SUPPRESS-LA trial will examine whether long-acting injectable treatment, administered at longer intervals, can help address adherence challenges.
Researchers will assess injection schedules including every eight weeks and every six months to determine whether they can maintain viral suppression during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The trial is being coordinated by African research institutions and investigators, with regulatory reviews involving the African Vaccine Regulatory Forum (AVAREF) and national regulatory authorities, including the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), South Africa’s SAHPRA and Uganda’s National Drug Authority.
ACRN chief executive officer Dr Tariro Makadzange said the study would address an important health challenge facing mothers and infants in Africa.
“SUPPRESS-LA addresses a question of direct importance to African mothers and infants, in the settings where the evidence is most needed,” she said.
The findings could help inform future HIV treatment policies and programmes aimed at eliminating paediatric HIV in Zimbabwe and other African countries.
