Zimbabwe has been selected as one of ten countries worldwide to roll out lenacapavir, a new breakthrough HIV prevention drug.
The announcement was made by the U.S. Embassy in Harare.
“Zimbabwe was selected as one of the ten countries globally to roll out lenacapavir, a breakthrough development in the fight against HIV,” the Embassy said.
The initiative is a partnership between the U.S. Embassy, U.S.-based pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, and the Global Fund.
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Lenacapavir is notable for being the first twice-yearly HIV prevention medicine, representing a significant improvement over daily pill regimens in terms of adherence and accessibility.
Clinical trial results have shown the drug to be highly effective. According to the Embassy statement, “In a large-scale clinical trial, more than 99% of people on lenacapavir remained HIV negative.”
This high efficacy, combined with the convenience of biannual dosing, could save millions of lives globally and marks a major step toward reducing new infections in Zimbabwe.
The rollout will prioritise pregnant and breastfeeding women to protect the next generation while strengthening the country’s healthcare systems.
By making the drug affordable and widely accessible, the program seeks to ensure that no one is left behind in the fight against HIV.
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