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CORRECTION / Nurse Mpho Matloane (R) prepares a syringe filled with the drug Lenacapavir which he prepares to administer to Kegoratile Aphane (L) at the Phedisong clinic in Ga-Rankuwa, north-west of Pretoria, on December 2, 2025. Lenacapavir, a drug taken twice a year that has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more that 99.9% was administered as part of an implementation study by a Wits University research unit which is funded by the international health agency Unitaid. (Photo by Ihsaan Haffejee / AFP via Getty Images) / "The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Ihsaan Haffejee has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Aphane] instead of [Aphaneat]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require."

South Africa launches biannual HIV prevention drug amid funding limits

by · June 6, 2026

10 reported

South Africa began rolling out a new HIV prevention injection on Friday, a twice-yearly drug called Lenacapavir that experts say could significantly reduce infection rates. The drug is being introduced at 360 health facilities in high-burden districts, making South Africa the ninth African country to launch it. President Cyril Ramaphosa called the launch a turning point in the nation’s fight against HIV. However, access is limited due to U.S. aid cuts and the lack of a cheap generic version. The drug is currently made by U.S. pharmaceutical company Gilead and costs about $28,000 per person per year in the U.S. A generic version is expected in 2027 at around $40 per person per year. Scientific modeling suggests that if one to two million HIV-negative people take the shot by 2043, AIDS could cease to be a major public health problem in South Africa.

What’s reported

South Africa rolled out Lenacapavir, a biannual HIV prevention injection, on Friday.
The drug is being launched at 360 health facilities in high-burden districts.
South Africa is the ninth African country to introduce the drug.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the launch marks a turning point in the nation’s fight against HIV.
South Africa has about 8 million people living with HIV, according to UNAIDS, with about 160,000 new infections each year.
Most new infections occur in adolescent girls and young women aged 15 to 24, with about 1,000 infected each week.
The Global Fund has provided enough to put about 456,000 people on the drug over two years.
The drug costs about $28,000 per person per year in the U.S., made by Gilead.
A generic version is expected in 2027 at around $40 per person per year.
Scientific modeling shows that if one to two million HIV-negative people take the shot by 2043, AIDS could cease to be a major public health problem in South Africa.

Key figures

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
Dr. Saiqa Mullick, PrEP specialist at Wits RHI at the University of Witwatersrand
Linda-Gail Bekker, HIV expert who leads the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation

Sources: NPR

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