After thirty long years of rigorous research and thousands of HIV+ patients dead, finally there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Truvada by Gilead Sciences Inc, which has marketed this pill since 2004 as a treatment for people who are infected with the virus.  After gaining firm results on the ability of the pill by a company study, Gilead has declared that the pill could also prevent people from contracting HIV when used as a precautionary measure. A three-year study found that daily doses cut the risk of infection in healthy gay and bisexual men by 42 per cent, when accompanied by condoms and counseling. An ideal preventive drug for sex workers or for those who have sex with HIV infected partners.

“Truvada is a combination of therapy composed of different drugs and it is more effective in the prevention of the mother to child transmission,” said Dr Asuman Lukwago, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health.

Based on the studies by the company the Food and Drug Administration has approved `truvada’ shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection. The agency expressed that the pill is a preventive measure for people who are at high risk of acquiring HIV. A panel of US health experts for the first time yesterday backed a drug to prevent HIV infection in healthy people. The panel recommended US regulators approve the daily pill, Truvada, for use by people considered at high risk of contracting the Aids virus. (With inputs from internet-AW AarKay)