RESUMEN
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a public health threat for Malawi which is facing several challenges concurrently including disease burden; inadequate finances; illiteracy; and public mistrust in government. In this pandemic, vaccines are the most reliable and cost-effective public health intervention, and the Malawian government has instituted an action plan which includes prioritizing the vaccination of traditional and religious leaders, increased vaccination sites to include workplaces and shopping malls, and health promotion. However, there is still considerable hesitancy around the use of the available vaccines in Malawi. In this paper, we explore the multiple interrelated factors driving COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Malawi. It is therefore recommended that the Malawian government embrace multicomponent and wide-ranging strategies to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the country. This includes reviving trust in national health authorities by offering population-specific, target-driven, and effective, transparent, and timely communication to its citizens and relevant stakeholders about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine.
RESUMEN
The approval of the novel long-acting HIV injection; Cabenuva®- Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine injectable formulation) and the recent call by the World Health Organization for promoting community-based ART management, underscore the remarkable progress towards meeting the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 95-95-95 targets by 2030. As the availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the treatment of HIV/AIDS has increased in resource-limited settings, there has been a move to develop and implement alternative treatment delivery models such as Differentiated Service Delivery (DSD) in high prevalence countries to meet the global targets for HIV treatment while maintaining the quality of care. However, there is limited data on the involvement of community pharmacies in the delivery of ART within the community. Although, in western countries, several studies have documented the different roles community pharmacists can play in the management of HIV/AIDS. Community pharmacists are the most accessible and first points of health care for most clients. They are trusted, highly trained health care professionals. They should be incorporated and allowed to administer the Cabenuva® injection if the battle against the HIV pandemic is to be totally won. In this paper, we, therefore, aim to explore how the community pharmacist can be positioned in HIV service delivery regarding the administration of the Novel long-acting Cabenuva® injection formulation. It is therefore recommended that the Nigerian government embrace community pharmacy-led drug administration initiatives and embark on accredited training programmes for the profession in line with drug administration services. The government should also put in place necessary funding mechanisms for community pharmacists for the extra workload placed on them in administering injection drug formulation in their respective pharmacies.