LUSAKA — The
Ministry of Health has officially launched a new HIV prevention drug,
Lenacapavir, marking a major milestone in Zambia’s ongoing fight against HIV.
Speaking during a media engagement, Ministry of Health Chief
Pharmacist Mr. Davis Kampamba announced
that the long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) injection will be
administered once every six months,
offering an additional prevention option for people at high risk of contracting
HIV.
Mr. Kampamba revealed that 82,000 doses of Lenacapavir have already been delivered to
the country. The drug will initially be available at Chawama Level One Hospital and the University Teaching Hospital (UTH),
with plans to gradually roll it out to all health facilities nationwide.
He further explained that the ministry aims to reduce new HIV infections from 28,000 to
15,000 by 2026, noting that the introduction of Lenacapavir aligns with
Zambia’s national strategy to curb HIV transmission and improve access to
innovative prevention tools.
“This long-acting option provides convenience, privacy, and
improved adherence for individuals who may struggle with daily PrEP tablets,”
he said.
The launch of Lenacapavir is expected to strengthen the
country’s prevention efforts and provide high-risk populations with a more
flexible and effective means of protecting themselves against HIV.
Lenacapavir has delivered impressive trial results and, in
July, it received official backing from the World Health Organization for HIV
prevention.
The injection is taken twice a year and provides six months
of protection against HIV infection at a time.Experts say long-acting
injectables like Lenacapavir could help reduce new infections in populations
that are most vulnerable, including adolescent girls and young women, LGBT
people, sex workers, and those who use drugs.
It is hoped it will replace the current form of HIV
preventative drug, know as PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, which is taken
orally and also costs $40 per person each year. The pills are taken daily,
which can be difficult for patients to consume, and can carry stigma in certain
societies.
The daily dose also makes it harder to access consistently.
According to the Gates Foundation, only 18% of those who could benefit from
PrEP currently have access. Lenacapavir has already been approved by the US
Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission this year.
Last year June, the US drug company Gilead announced that a
trial of its HIV drug Lenacapavir had a 100% success rate. The new, generic
version is still pending regulatory approval but it is hoped it will be
available within 18 months.
One study says that increasing access to the injection to
just 4% of the population could prevent up to 20% of new HIV infections. The
drug can be used to protect people from catching the virus, but also to treat
those who have it, according to scientists.
The announcement comes amid a turbulent year for global
health, particularly the fight against HIV and Aids, following singeing cuts by
the US government's foreign aid programme, USAID, under the Trump
administration.
According to UNAIDS, more than 40 million people are
currently living with HIV.
Despite huge strides made to reduce global HIV rates and
AIDS-related deaths since 2000, about 1.3 million people still contracted HIV
last year, and more than 600,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses.
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