The countries of Kenya and Zimbabwe have received lenacapavir, a drug that prevents HIV infection with only two yearly injections.
Kenya will offer patients a free six-month HIV-prevention shot, reports RFI English:
Lenacapavir, known as LEN, is a long-acting injectable administered once every six months. Named ‘Breakthrough of the Year’ by Science magazine in 2024, the drug is injected subcutaneously, just below the skin, in he lower abdomen or thighs…
Last week, Kenya received its first batch of 21,000 doses through a deal with Lenacapavir’s manufacturer, Gilead Sciences, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS.
Some 12,000 doses are expected by April while an additional 25,000 doses from the United States government will strengthen early implementation.
The government said Lenacapavir has met all regulatory and procurement requirements under Kenyan law and health guidelines.
Lenacapavir is generally considered safe. Following the clinical trials, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved it for use in June 2025. The World Health Organisation (WHO) endorsed its approval by releasing guidelines for its use at the 13th International Aids Society Conference held in Kigali, Rwanda, in July 2025.
Kenya – with thousands of new infections recorded each year – is among the first countries globally to introduce Lenacapavir for HIV prevention.
A German newspaper reports that “Zimbabwe, one of southern Africa’s hardest‑hit countries, is taking a bold step in HIV prevention. The nation has now joined Zambia, Kenya and Eswatini in deploying Lenacapavir — an injection taken just twice a year to help protect communities most at risk.”
Scientists have engineered a virus that steals proteins from the HIV virus. That could potentially prevent AIDS.
Botswana, an African nation that used to have the world’s second highest AIDS rate, has reduced its mother-to-child HIV transmission rate to 1.2%.
