South Africans are calling on the government to swiftly roll out Lenacapavir–an HIV prevention drug–to reduce the rate of infections in their communities.
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi revealed that South Africa intends to roll out the drug as early as March 2026.
Although Motsoaledi stated that the government will roll out the drug next year, Khumoitsile Modiranosi from Zeerust in the North West said she would have preferred for the rollout to be implemented sooner to avert further infections in the area.
“With the festive season upon us, we expect the infection rate to increase because young people tend to forget to use protection when they are under the influence of alcohol and substances,” she said.
Dolly Sefuba from Solomondale in Limpopo urged the government to speed up the rollout process.
“The drug should not only be available in the urban and semi-urban areas but also in the rural areas where sex education is still a taboo,” she said.
Thoko Sithole from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal hailed the drug as a great advancement in HIV management and prevention and for its urgent rollout.
“This new drug offers the potential for improved adherence, requiring only two injections per year instead of daily tablets,” Sithole said.
“Its long-acting nature may also be more appealing to the public, as it reduces the burden of taking medication every day. I’m interested to see how its side-effect profile compares to the current preventative treatments.”
Her sentiments were echoed by Ngcwelekazi Hope from the Eastern Cape.
“I think the introduction of Lenacapavir will be very helpful in a way that it will significantly reduce the risk of new HIV cases when used in combination with safer sex practices.
At least the cases that are already out there can just somewhat be maintained substantially,” she said.
Lorraine Khumalo from Mpumalanga called for the swift rollout of the drug.
“The rollout of Lenacapavir in South Africa would be profoundly meaningful for the women of Mpumalanga.
“This protection would lead to healthier pregnancies and, most importantly, would drastically lower the chance of transmitting the virus to unborn children,” she said.
Speaking at the national roundtable on Lenacapavir access and sustainability in South Africa on Tuesday, Motsoaledi said the South African National Aids Council, together with the Department of Health, is convening a multi-stakeholder roundtable session to discuss the country’s preparedness to roll out Lenacapavir.
Lenacapavir is a revolutionary long-acting injectable drug that offers six months of protection with just two annual doses.
Motsoaledi highlighted the drug’s potential to address critical gaps in prevention methods.
“We need prevention methods that fit into people’s lives, that address the gaps left by existing tools,” he said.
“This is where Lenacapavir comes in as a timely and much-needed innovation to help us overcome the persistent challenges in our HIV/Aids response, especially when it comes to prevention.
Lenacapavir expands the choices within our combination prevention strategy.”
Motsoaledi believes that the jab widens the scope of choices for citizens and is an empowering option and ensures that no one is left behind simply because the existing tools did not fit into their lives.
The new prevention option comes at a critical time, with about 149 000 South Africans having acquired HIV in 2022 and 2023 alone.
According to the minister, the Lenacapavir’s clinical trials have shown remarkable efficacy, with 100% protection among women and 96% protection among men who have sex with men and transgender women.
He announced that the initial rollout will focus on 23 high-incident districts across six provinces, targeting about 360 high-performing public clinics within these areas.
The minister announced that key target populations include pregnant and breastfeeding women, adolescent girls, female sex workers, and men who have sex with men–groups traditionally most vulnerable to HIV transmission.
The minister stressed that the goal is to reduce new HIV infections to below 0.1% by 2032.
“Mathematical modelling suggests that if two to 4-million people use Lenacapavir over 12 to 24 months, South Africa could achieve near-elimination of new HIV infections, marking a potential turning point in the battle against the epidemic.”
Additional reporting by SAnews.gov.za
