By Everson Luhanga
- Health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says the new prevention injection will first be given to young women across South Africa.
- The health department received the shipment of the treatment from Dublin and will soon start using it at 350 facilities.
Young women, sex workers and other high risk groups could soon have an easier way to protect themselves from HIV.
South Africa has received its first shipment of a new prevention injection called Lenacapavir. The 37,920 doses arrived at OR Tambo International Airport from Dublin.
Health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said the injection marks a major shift in how people prevent the virus.
He said many people struggle to take daily pills. Missing doses increases the risk of infection. The new injection could solve that problem.
Motsoaledi said: “One of the advantages is that it’s taken only twice a year, which means compliance is going to be very very high.”
Lenacapavir is already being used in countries like the United States. It works by stopping the virus from multiplying in the body.
The health department will soon announce the official launch. It will also explain how the rollout will happen across the country.
The first phase will focus on the most vulnerable groups. These include adolescent girls, young women, pregnant and breastfeeding women, sex workers and men who have sex with men.
The injection will first be offered at 350 facilities in high-burden districts. These are areas with high infection rates.
“We are going to start with those groups … From there, we will go to all the other districts,” Motsoaledi said.
Health workers have already been trained to give the injection. The treatment is safe.
South Africa has one of the largest HIV programmes in the world. Officials believe this new option could help reduce new infections and make prevention easier for many people.
Pictured above: HIV prevention medicine.
Image source: File
