NATIONAL NEWS - Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi revealed that South Africa intends to roll out lenacapavir, a revolutionary long-acting HIV prevention method that could transform public health as early as March 2026.

“The rolling out date of March or April all depends on how smart we work together,” he said in making the significant announcement.

The Minister was speaking at the national roundtable on lenacapavir access and sustainability in South Africa on Tuesday.

This as the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), together with the Department of Health, are 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.

At a national roundtable meeting, Motsoaledi highlighted the drug’s potential to address critical gaps in current HIV prevention methods. 

“We need prevention methods that fit into people’s lives, that address the gaps left by existing tools. 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 approximately 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.

The Minister announced that the initial rollout will focus on 23 high-incident districts across six provinces, targeting approximately 360 high-performing public clinics within these areas.

The Global Fund has provided a US$29 million grant to support approximately 456 000 initiations over two years, translating into 912 000 doses.

“I want to emphasise, ladies and gentlemen, it is not just a dream that we are intending to end AIDS as a public health threat in our lifetime. We have no choice. We’ve got to do it, and we are going to do it together,” he told delegates. 

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.

According to the Minister, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has already recommended lenacapavir as an additional HIV prevention choice, marking a significant milestone in global HIV prevention efforts.

Affordability 

He said government plans to integrate it into domestic financing mechanisms, aiming for routine funding after two years. 

Gilead and six pharmaceutical companies, including one in Egypt, will produce the jab at US US$40 per person per annum, a significant reduction from US$28 000. 

“What revolutions are made of is reducing costs 700 times,” the Health Minister said, highlighting the unprecedented affordability of the treatment.

Pharmaceutical companies like Hetero and partnerships with the Gates Foundation will produce generic versions, while South Africa actively pursues local manufacturing capabilities.

“So, we wish to thank Gilead for issuing a voluntary licence to make this partnership possible.”

In addition, he announced R2 billion funding from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for six months to maintain current HIV and AIDS programmes. The CDC is the national public health agency of the United States.

“This is to keep the programmes that were there so that they don’t collapse. I think we should welcome this as much as it is not what we’re expecting, but we must welcome this.” 

Reducing infection

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 four 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 country’s decades-long battle against the epidemic.” 

Government has also committed to a comprehensive approach involving community engagement, civil society participation, and sustainable financing mechanisms. – SAnews.gov.za

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