South Africa launches HIV prevention injection Lenacapavir

South Africa on Friday launched the rollout of lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug that health officials hope will curb new infections in the country that has the world’s largest HIV epidemic.

President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled the long-acting prevention treatment in Secunda, Mpumalanga, describing it as a milestone in the country’s decades-long fight against HIV/AIDS.

“This incredible treatment is not just a medicine or a drug; to us, it represents a major turning point in South Africa’s national story,” Ramaphosa said.

“It represents one of the most significant scientific breakthroughs since the advent of antiretroviral treatment. As we all know, our country has carried one of the world’s heaviest HIV/AIDS burdens. We have had to administer antiretroviral treatment to millions of people every day, while also deploying billions of rands to keep our people alive.”

Lenacapavir is administered twice a year and offers six months of protection against HIV infection per dose, providing an alternative to daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication. South Africa's health department has described the drug as a potential game-changer in HIV prevention.

The initial rollout will target high-burden districts and key populations at higher risk of HIV infection.

South Africa, home to an estimated 7.9 million people living with HIV, has the world's largest HIV epidemic.

The launch follows the arrival of the first shipment of nearly 38,000 doses in April. Health authorities say the medicine will be distributed through hundreds of public health facilities as part of efforts to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

South Africa joins Kenya and Nigeria in rolling out Lenacapavir, which health experts have described as a major breakthrough in the fight against HIV. Kenya launched the drug in February, while Nigeria introduced it in March as part of efforts to reduce new infections.