Zimbabwe is one of the world's first countries to roll out lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV prevention drug that is administered only twice a year. It offers new hope for high-risk groups struggling with adherence to daily prevention pills. Early recipients, including sex workers, say the injectable drug reduces stigma and improves convenience.
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And how you can tooTrump administration to stand by tough Biden-era mandates to replace lead pipesFDA will drop two-study requirement for new drug approvals, aiming to speed accessSocial media can be addictive even for adults, but there are ways to cut backCatholics return to confession focused on grace, not a get-out-of-hell-free cardTras anulación de aranceles de Trump viene la difícil tarea de emitir reembolsosA nurse administers lenacapavir to Tambudzai Ndlovu during the launch of the new HIV prevention drug in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. Constance Mukoloka holds a bottle of lenacapavir tablets after receiving a shot of the new HIV prevention drug in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. Constance Mukoloka sits inside a consulting room as she waiting to receive an injection of the new HIV prevention drug lenacapavir, in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. A nurse administers lenacapavir to Tambudzai Ndlovu during the launch of the new HIV prevention drug in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. A nurse holds a vial of lenacapavir, a new HIV prevention drug, in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. A nurse administers lenacapavir to Tambudzai Ndlovu during the launch of the new HIV prevention drug in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. A nurse administers lenacapavir to Tambudzai Ndlovu during the launch of the new HIV prevention drug in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. Constance Mukoloka holds a bottle of lenacapavir tablets after receiving a shot of the new HIV prevention drug in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. Constance Mukoloka holds a bottle of lenacapavir tablets after receiving a shot of the new HIV prevention drug in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. Constance Mukoloka sits inside a consulting room as she waiting to receive an injection of the new HIV prevention drug lenacapavir, in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. Constance Mukoloka sits inside a consulting room as she waiting to receive an injection of the new HIV prevention drug lenacapavir, in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. A nurse administers lenacapavir to Tambudzai Ndlovu during the launch of the new HIV prevention drug in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. A nurse administers lenacapavir to Tambudzai Ndlovu during the launch of the new HIV prevention drug in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. A nurse holds a vial of lenacapavir, a new HIV prevention drug, in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. A nurse holds a vial of lenacapavir, a new HIV prevention drug, in Harare, Zimbabwe, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. HARARE, Zimbabwe — Young women, mothers holding babies and some men lined up in a dusty field on the outskirts of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. They came for injections of a new HIV prevention drug launched in the country on Thursday, one that only needs to be administered twice a year., where HIV has led to tens of thousands of deaths over the past two decades, is one of the first countries to roll out lenacapavir, a long-acting drug that authorities hope will slow new infections., the drug has been described by some health officials as a turning point for high-risk groups. Others warn that turning scientific promise into broad impact will require overcoming funding constraints, infrastructure gaps and the challenge of keeping patients engaged. At the Zimbabwe launch, Constance Mukoloka stepped out of a mobile clinic, beaming with relief after receiving one of the first doses. “I am safe, I can work with confidence now,” said the 27-year-old sex worker, describing how daily preventive preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, pills often created tension with clients and proved difficult to take consistently — putting her and others at risk.. Health officials and advocates say the drug could reshape HIV prevention strategies if governments can navigate barriers of cost and fragile health systems. Developed by California-based Gilead Sciences, lenacapavir’s introduction in selected high-risk countries is being supported through the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or The injection is offered for free in Zimbabwe to high-risk people such as sex workers, adolescent girls and young women, gay men and pregnant and breastfeeding women.“When I took tablets, customers would see a container of pills and leave. They would never return due to fear,” she said. “They couldn’t tell the difference between PrEP and treatment drugs. With the work we do, that stigma costs you money.” Daily oral PrEP has long been available in Zimbabwe alongside condoms, vaginal rings and shorter-acting injectables. Yet adherence has remained a challenge, particularly for people facing stigma or unpredictable schedules. “I work in beer halls looking for clients. Sometimes I would get drunk and forget to take my drugs,” Mukoloka said. “Sometimes I would work all night and not have time. Some clients refuse protection. They say ... ‘Why should I use protection when I have paid?’”Health authorities see lenacapavir’s discreetness and extended duration as a critical advantage for key populations such as sex workers and therefore a boost in fighting the spread of HIV. “Prevention must fit into real life. If a health solution is too complicated, too demanding, or too visible, people simply won’t use it,” Douglas Mombeshora, Zimbabwe’s health minister, said at Thursday’s launch. “Lenacapavir represents a new way of doing things.”Zimbabwe, Eswatini and Zambia, once global HIV epicenters, have emerged in recent years as among the world’s most successful models in controlling the epidemic, achieving World Health Organization testing, treatment and viral suppression targets. Yet despite these gains, new infections remain a concern, particularly among adolescent girls and young women. According to the United Nations children’s agency, HIV prevalence among adolescent girls and young women aged 10-24 is “persistently” triple that of their male counterparts in sub-Saharan Africa, driven by gender inequality, poverty and uneven access to health services. In sub-Saharan Africa, women and girls of all ages accounted for 63% of all new HIV infections in 2024, according to UNAIDS. In all other geographical regions, about 73% of new infections in 2024 occurred among men and boys. In Zimbabwe, authorities say about 46,000 people across 24 sites are expected to benefit in the early phase of the lenacapavir rollout, a fraction of potential demand in a country of roughly 15 million.Details for the next phase are not clear. The government says it hopes the number of beneficiaries will increase as more donor-funded doses arrive. It also hopes to acquire its own doses for a mass rollout but, like many other African governments, lacks enough money. Health officials, experts and activists warn that practical realities could tamper the drug’s early promise in Africa, a continent of over 1.5 billion people, not least due to the high cost of mass rollouts for governments. In Kenya, which received its first 21,000 lenacapavir doses this week, the government said the injectable would be offered at a negotiated price of about $54 per person per year, still a heavy cost for many. Bellinda Thibela, who works on health justice and access at Health GAP, an international advocacy organization, described the move as “a bit comforting” but hardly enough on its own on a continent where health systems have heavily relied on external funding that is diminishing, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign aid cuts. Challenges will remain in countries that were “80% to 90% dependent on U.S. funding,” Thibela said. “What’s the point of having a reduced price if there is no staff and equipment in clinics?” While many clinicians describe lenacapavir as a significant advance, they stress it must complement, not replace, prevention tools. “Condoms remain key. They are cheap and they also prevent other sexually transmitted infections,” said Enerst Chikwati, Zimbabwe program director at AIDS Healthcare Foundation.https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s
Zimbabwe HIV And AIDS Zimbabwe Government General News Douglas Mombeshora Health Gilead Sciences Inc. World News Donald Trump Constance Mukoloka World News
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