Argentina expands HIV PrEP in Entre Ríos hospitals and completes first public meniscal transplant in Tucumán

Public hospitals in the Argentine province of Entre Ríos have begun offering pre‑exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV. The programme, launched in four hospitals—Delicia Concepción Masvernat (Concordia), San Martín (Paraná), Centenario (Gualeguaychú) and Justo José de Urquiza (Concepción del Uruguay)—provides the antiretroviral medication free of charge under national law 27.675. Provincial HIV coordinator Francisco Astudilla said the initiative aims to broaden preventive access amid rising sexually transmitted infections and will be evaluated as a pilot for possible expansion.

In Tucumán, the Hospital Ángel C. Padilla performed the first meniscal transplant ever carried out in Argentina’s public health system. The complex two‑stage operation involved a femoral osteotomy followed by implantation of a cadaveric meniscal graft and reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament. Surgeons Juan Rodríguez Rey and Alejandro Wierna highlighted the coordinated effort of the tissue bank, surgical team and residents, marking a new capability for high‑complexity orthopaedic care in the province.