KAMPALA, UGANDA – The Uganda National Drug Authority has approved Lenacapavir, a long-acting Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) manufactured by the U.S.-based biotechnology company Gilead Sciences.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The announcement marks a pivotal moment for public health in Uganda, introducing the first and only HIV prevention option requiring just two injections per year.
Health experts hail the move as a transformative tool that could dramatically accelerate progress toward the global goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
The approval of Lenacapavir is a significant boost to Uganda’s Ending AIDS by 2030 initiative, which was launched by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The initiative, the Presidential Fast-Track Initiative on Ending HIV/AIDS in Uganda by 2030, was launched in 2019 to accelerate the national HIV response.
The program focuses on engaging men in prevention, accelerating Test and Treat programs, and eliminating mother-to-child transmission, among other strategies.
Experts describe Lenacapavir as a seismic shift from daily pills to a discreet, twice-yearly injection. It offers a convenient and highly effective new option, especially for individuals who struggle with daily pill regimens or face stigma associated with oral PrEP.
Clinical trials have demonstrated extraordinary efficacy, showing that Lenacapavir reduces the risk of contracting HIV by more than 99% in high-risk populations.
With this decision, Uganda joins South Africa, Eswatini, and Zambia at the forefront of a continent-wide health revolution, adopting this revolutionary long-acting HIV prevention method.
Africa, which bears the highest global burden of HIV, is now leading the charge in adopting one of the most promising scientific breakthroughs in recent years.
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