Africa Rolls Out Revolutionary HIV Jab with Six-Month Protection

A medical breakthrough swept across  Africa on Monday as South Africa, Eswatini, and Zambia kicked off the first public rollouts of lenacapavir_ a revolutionary HIV-prevention injection taken just twice a year.

The drug, which slashes the risk of HIV infection by more than 99.9%, is being hailed as the closest thing yet to a vaccine. For a continent carrying the world’s heaviest HIV burden, the launch marks a seismic shift in the fight against the virus.

In South Africa — where one in five adults lives with HIV — researchers at Wits University led the first phase of the rollout under a Unitaid-funded project aimed at ensuring fair access to promising medical innovations.

“The first individuals have begun using lenacapavir… making it among the first real-world uses of the six-monthly injectable in low- and middle-income countries,” Unitaid said. A nationwide rollout is expected next year.

Zambia and Eswatini, which received 1,000 doses each through a U.S.-supported programme, unveiled the injection during World AIDS Day celebrations. In Eswatini’s Hhukwini constituency, crowds danced and sang as people lined up for their shots.

“Today marks a turning point in our national HIV response,” declared Eswatini’s Prime Minister Russell Dlamini. “This injection gives us fresh hope and a powerful tool to protect our citizens.”

Zambia’s launch drew hundreds who marched through Lusaka to celebrate. Health Minister Elijah Muchima urged people living with HIV to visit hospitals for the jab, saying it “brings renewed hope to young people and vulnerable populations.”

The U.S. programme will supply lenacapavir at no profit to two million people across high-burden countries over three years. But South Africa — despite hosting key trials — will not receive U.S.-funded doses due to diplomatic tensions. A U.S. State Department official insisted South Africa has “significant means” to fund its own supply.

Critics argue that donations fall far short of need and that the drug’s U.S. price tag — $28,000 per person per year — makes it inaccessible for most.

The urgency is stark: Eastern and southern Africa are home to 52% of the world’s 40.8 million people living with HIV. Zambia alone records 30,000 new infections annually. In tiny Eswatini, 220,000 people live with the virus.

UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima blasted the slow global response, accusing drugmakers of neglecting Africa. “If you don’t care about those lives, at least care about the profit! Bring the drug here,” she said.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that hard-won gains against HIV are “now at risk” due to funding cuts and urged rapid scale-up of the new injection.

Relief may come soon: generic versions of lenacapavir are expected by 2027, with prices slashed to around $40 per year for more than 100 countries through Unitaid and Gates Foundation deals with Indian manufacturers.

Source: Channels TV