Online Reporter
Muchaneta Chimuka in Bulawayo
ZIMBABWE is expecting to receive over 42 000 doses of new injectable HIV and AIDS prevention medicine, Lenacapavir, in July, and many vulnerable populations are hoping to utilise the medication, thereby protecting themselves from acquiring the virus with the hope of building a healthy nation for sustainable economic development.
Lenacapavir is a ground-breaking, twice-yearly injectable medicine for HIV prevention (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis), but, unlike daily oral PrEP pills, it requires only two doses annually, and it has been shown to provide nearly 99percent protection against HIV infection.
Speaking during a Ministry of Health and Child Care Lenacapavir and HIV Prevention media training , Gertrude Ncube, the National HIV Prevention Coordinator in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, said the injectable must be used in combination with other biomedical HIV prevention methods like condoms, PrEP, behavioural intervention, and she called for structural and policy intervention to enable access.
She said oral Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is available in all districts of Zimbabwe to all people at risk, including adolescent girls and young women, serodiscordant couples, pregnant and lactating women, high-risk populations, and those using and injecting drugs, and can access it freely.
“Since the initial rollout of Lenacapavir started in February this year, 1 6014 people were reached by May, and we are expecting 42 000 doses by July this year, and we hope more and more people will benefit,” she said.
Dr Idah Moyo, an HIV Prevention Officer with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, said that, unlike other HIV prevention mechanisms in Zimbabwe, men respond well to Lenacapavir medicines.
“It’s encouraging that more men are forthcoming for the Lenacapavir injection; however, there are more women who are taking with a percentage of 67, while men are at 33 percent.
“We encourage more men to partake in the initiative,” she said.
She said, Lenacapavir is 99.9 percent efficacious and is meant for HIV negative people aimed to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV in adults and adolescents weighing at least 35kg, and the initial phase 1.920 packs were delivered and approximately 46, 080 additional are expected between June and November this year across 24 designated sites.
“Key details regarding the local implementation include: Local Availability: Distribution has been established at designated centres, including Princess Margaret Rose Clinic in Bulawayo. Priority Groups: The medication is primarily focused on vulnerable populations with disproportionately higher infection rates.
“ This includes adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), sex workers, and pregnant and breastfeeding women (PBFW),” she said.
She highlighted that the twice-yearly regimen greatly improves adherence and reduces the stigma and challenges associated with taking daily pills.
“However, it is an additional layer of protection and does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections. The rollout is being monitored and implemented by the Ministry of Health and Child Care with support from organizations like OPHID and CeSHHAR.
“Lenacapavir has been hailed as a breakthrough drug in the global fight against the HIV pandemic and was developed by Gilead Sciences, giving those at high risk—who often struggle with the stigma and exhaustion of daily pills—a discreet and manageable protection,” she said.
She said the long-acting medicines have some unprecedented convenience as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), as it only needs to be administered via subcutaneous injection once every six months and have high efficacy, with clinical studies demonstrating near-total protection over 99 percent against HIV acquisition among participants.
“With Lenacapavir medication, we can safely overcome adherence barriers and pill fatigue, which also exposes individuals to stigma, partner suspicion, or unwanted social scrutiny.
The biannual injection solves these challenges, and it is primarily prioritised for highly vulnerable groups, including adolescent girls, young women, and sex workers, helping to curb new infections,” she added.
Dr Pugie Chimberengwa, the OPHID Technical Director, said Lenacapavir was introduced so that vulnerable populations have a variety of choices for HIV prevention.
