African Women’s HIV Prevention Advocates Welcome Historic Price Cut for Dapivirine Vaginal Ring
- Apha News
- Dec 12
- 2 min read
Four leading African women’s health and HIV prevention organisations have hailed a landmark 53% reduction in the price of the monthly dapivirine vaginal ring - now set at $5.90. This announcement was made at the 23rd International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA 2025) in Accra, Ghana.
The Advocates for the Prevention of HIV in Africa (APHA), the African Women Prevention Community Accountability Board (AWPCAB), the International Community of Women Living with HIV Eastern Africa (ICWEA), and WACI Health released a joint statement celebrating the move as a major step toward equitable access for women and girls across sub-Saharan Africa.
The organisations noted that the price reduction could significantly improve affordability for HIV prevention programmes, particularly in regions where adolescent girls and young women face disproportionately high infection rates. They also emphasised that African women - who have long contributed to clinical trials and implementation studies of the dapivirine ring - must not be excluded from life-saving tools due to cost barriers.
The dapivirine vaginal ring is a monthly, woman-controlled HIV prevention method that has shown 75–91% efficacy when used consistently. It provides an important option for women who cannot or prefer not to use daily oral PrEP.
While welcoming the price drop, the organisations stressed that this is “only the beginning” and called on all HIV prevention and treatment product developers to prioritise affordability as a matter of justice - not charity. Their ongoing advocacy priorities include:
Further price reductions across HIV prevention and treatment tools
Increased funding for procurement and distribution
Removal of regulatory and policy barriers
Meaningful involvement of women and girls in decision-making
Accountability from pharmaceutical and global health actors on equity commitments
The statement concludes with a commitment to continued advocacy to ensure that every woman and girl across the continent can access the full range of HIV prevention options.
