People with a high risk of HIV have been granted access to a preventative treatment, the government's drug buying agency Pharmac has annnounced.

Photo: New Zealand AIDS Foundation

Pharmac said it would widen access to the drug Truvada, which works to prevent infection with HIV.

Truvada is already funded for treating people infected with HIV.

The agency said the decision meant the drug would also be funded for people if they were not infected but their risk of contracting HIV was high.

It estimated up to 4000 people would benefit from the decision.

The change will take effect in March.