Zimbabwe is set to initiate the rollout of Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable HIV prevention drug, with plans to provide this innovative treatment to 46,500 high-risk individuals starting early next year.
This marks a significant advancement in the country’s HIV prevention efforts.
Lenacapavir offers six months of protection against HIV infection with just two injections per year.
This new option addresses adherence challenges associated with daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), making it especially beneficial for adolescent girls, young women, and other key populations who face barriers to consistent pill use.
At the recent ICASA 2025 conference, national HIV prevention coordinator Ms. Getrude Ncube shared that Zimbabwe has swiftly prepared for the drug’s introduction, becoming the third African nation to approve it.
“Just five days post-approval, Health Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora held a press conference detailing Lenacapavir’s significance for our country,” she stated.
According to Ms. Ncube, 40 initial rollout sites have been identified, and readiness assessments, along with training for health workers, have been completed.
The first shipment of doses is expected in January, leading to a phased rollout.
The selection of the 46,500 beneficiaries is based on national data and is focused on districts most affected by new infections.
ALSO READ: Harare Clamps Down on Street Maize Vendors
Priority was given to areas with high HIV incidence and where uptake of oral PrEP has been strong from 2023 to 2025.
The initiative will also target districts with a significant number of untreated individuals and those with vulnerable populations, including women with low male treatment coverage.
The initial rollout will encompass districts such as Bulawayo, Gweru, Karoi, Masvingo, Chitungwiza, Cowdray Park, Harare, Mutare, Mazowe, Tsholotsho, Kwekwe, Shamva, and Gwanda, ensuring outreach to urban, peri-urban, and rural settings while focusing on vulnerable groups, including adolescent girls, young women, female sex workers, and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Although this first phase targets specific districts, plans are in place to expand coverage to all provinces as more doses become available.
Recent data from the 2024 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey reveals that awareness of PrEP remains below 50%, particularly among young people at highest risk for infection, indicating an urgent need for new strategies in HIV prevention.
