KENYA’S STEP AHEAD IN HIV PREVENTION AND CONTRACEPTION

KENYA’S STEP AHEAD IN HIV PREVENTION AND CONTRACEPTION

BY CLEMENTINE OSODO.

Many African countries lack a safe and convenient method for women to have the upper hand on prevention of unwanted pregnancies and infection of HIV and STI’s. The high incidences of these infections are as a result of heterosexual intercourse and the infections spread more readily from men to women than vice versa. Women often have little or no power to negotiate the use of condoms with their partners and are unable to protect themselves from nonconsensual coercive sex. There is a desperate need for provision and availability of new, easy to use, safe and affordable methods of protection which allow women to take the necessary precautions without having to negotiate with their partners.
It is in this regard that a local reproductive health Scientist Dr. Peter Gichuhi Mwethera, head of the reproductive health and Biology department in the Primate Research institute (PRI) was motivated to come up with a vaginal lubricating gel which is being developed as a microbicidal contraceptive preventing pregnancy, infection of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases.

The Gel under the trademark name UniPron was granted Patent No. KE 218 from KIPI and is still under experimentation having succeeded on Baboons. It is clear fluffy, acidic, non detergent and also heavily buffered with carbomer (carboxyvinyl polymers of high molecular weights) as the agent and has a PH of 3.4. The Gel is very stable at both room temperature approximately 22 oC , body temperature and has a shelf life of at least twenty four months. UniPron’s mechanism of action is to lower the vaginal PH from 5.0 to 3.4 immediately after administration and maintaining the acidity for about three hours after which the PH returns to the normal range without causing any detectable irritation on the vaginal epithelium. It has the ability to preserve an acidic vaginal microenvironment due to its highly buffered PH of 3.4 hence a vaginal defense enhancer. It will soon be undergoing the human clinical test before the end of 2010 or early 2011 at The Aga Khan Hospital.

This initiative was funded by the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of State for National Heritage and culture. It was awarded a two year grant totaling to US$ 214,000 to develop a Microbicide and Spermicide from 2006 to 2009, another two year Grant of US$ 266,000 to continue the development of a microbicidal contraceptive from 2009 to 2011 and last a Grant of US$ 1,066,600 to develop, promote and market two medical products under trademark names SMUGEL and SMUSCAN through a PPP approach (2010).

SMUGEL and SMUSCAN are two other research products under Dr. Mwethera’s initiative which have been commercialized and are now in the market.
SMUGEL is a human lubricating gel specially made for women to address vaginal dryness at personal level caused by menopause, use of some contraceptives, use of anti cancer drugs, use of some antibiotics and emotional reasons. It is also used at medical level for vaginal examinations, delivery in hospitals, and lubrication of theatre equipment.

SMUGEL is water based, innert and sterile hence safe for use with condoms since it does not react with rubber. Unlike oil based lubricants, it also does not react with the epithelial region of the Vagina interfering with the good bacteria of the Vagina known as lactobacilli which maintain the acidity of the vaginal region. Consequently SMUGEL is safe compared to the oil based lubricants which may lead to lesions in the vaginal region and also interfere with baby’s skin during delivery.
SMUSCAN on the other hand is a scanning gel used for ultrasound procedures in hospitals. It helps improve maternal healthcare because it aids in discoveries of medical defaults hence prevention of complications at childbirth.
Both gels are locally made, very affordable and have a positive impact on the economy. They are available on chemist shelves and some hospitals. Donations of five hundred tubes of SMUGEL and five hundred tubes of SMUSCAN have been sent to some provincial hospitals.

Dr. Mwethera strongly believes that Africa and Kenya to be precise can not develop Let alone industrialize without investing in science and technology as drivers of any serious economy. Together with other stakeholders they have converted research knowledge into affordable medical products to improve reproductive health and maternal health.

The stakeholders include the Primate Research institute (PRI) a Biomedical research institution whose mandate is to improve human health by ethically utilizing non human primates (monkeys) and a private pharmaceutical company known as Universal Corporation Limited (UCL). UCL is a local company that manufactures over two hundred medical products in sixteen African countries and whose headquarters are in Kenya. 30% of the company is under Finfund, a Finish Government Investment Company.
Dr. Mwethera also pointed out that the biggest challenge faced is the failure of researchers to partner with the private industry since such partnerships can result in the production of quality medical products that are cheap therefore increasing accessibility and improving the economy in a great way.

All the views expressed by Dr. Mwethera are his personal views and not from the Institute of Primate Research.

Writer can be contacted through email: clementinejunior@yahoo.com or cosodo@gmail.com