South Africa launches long-acting HIV prevention injection nationwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) praised the initiative, describing it as an important milestone in expanding access to more effective and user-friendly HIV prevention options.

South Africa has begun the national rollout of lenacapavir, a groundbreaking long-acting HIV prevention injection that health officials believe could significantly reduce new infections and strengthen the country's efforts to end HIV as a public health threat.

The launch, held in Secunda in Mpumalanga province, introduces a new form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) that requires only two injections per year. The development marks a major shift in HIV prevention by offering an alternative to daily medication, which many people find difficult to maintain over long periods. The World Health Organization (WHO) praised the initiative, describing it as an important milestone in expanding access to more effective and user-friendly HIV prevention options.

South Africa among the first countries to implement lenacapavir

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated South Africa for moving quickly from policy approval to practical implementation. The country has already secured early supplies of the medicine, updated its essential medicines list, and prepared health systems for nationwide distribution.

Health experts say this rapid transition highlights South Africa's continued leadership in the global HIV response, a role it has maintained through decades of investment in prevention, treatment, scientific research, and community-based health programmes.

The rollout places South Africa among a small group of early adopter countries introducing lenacapavir as part of public health services, providing broader access to one of the most promising new HIV prevention technologies available.

New option could help overcome prevention barriers

Lenacapavir offers protection against HIV through a twice-yearly injection, reducing the need for daily pill-taking and potentially improving adherence among people at higher risk of infection.

Public health specialists have long identified adherence as one of the biggest challenges in HIV prevention programmes. A longer-acting option could help reach people who struggle with daily medication routines, including young people, mobile populations, and individuals facing social or economic barriers to healthcare access.

Officials believe expanding the range of prevention choices gives individuals greater flexibility to select options that best fit their circumstances and lifestyles.

Part of a broader effort to end HIV by 2030

South Africa continues to carry one of the world's largest HIV burdens, making prevention a critical component of national health policy. The introduction of lenacapavir builds on existing prevention programmes and reflects ongoing efforts to reduce new infections while addressing health inequalities. WHO officials said the rollout demonstrates how governments, communities, researchers, and international partners can work together to make innovative health technologies available more quickly.

Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO's Department for HIV, TB, Hepatitis and STIs, said the programme reflects South Africa's commitment to expanding access to advanced HIV prevention tools and improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations. As implementation expands across the country, health authorities hope the new injection will help accelerate progress toward national and global targets to end HIV by 2030.