Zambia receives first US-funded shipment of twice-yearly HIV prevention drug
🇿🇲 BRIEFING | Zambia receives first US-funded shipment of twice-yearly HIV prevention drug
Zambia has received its first United States government-funded shipment of lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV prevention medicine administered only twice a year, opening another option in the country’s efforts to reduce new HIV infections.
US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia joined Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Donor Coordination Dr George Sinyangwe at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka on Wednesday to mark the arrival of the shipment.
Developed by US pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, lenacapavir provides long-acting protection against HIV through injections given every six months, reducing the need for people using pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, to take daily medication
The US Embassy described the medicine as having the potential to change HIV prevention in Zambia, particularly by expanding the choices available to people at risk of infection.
“An American-made medication, administered just twice a year, has arrived in Zambia and it has the potential to change how this country prevents HIV,” the embassy said.
It said the treatment could also strengthen HIV prevention options for pregnant and breastfeeding women, supporting Zambia’s efforts to prevent transmission of the virus to children.
During the visit, Garcia toured UTH’s Maternal and Child Health Wing and received a technical briefing from Professor Lloyd Mulenga, Dr Chimika Phiri and Dr Mundia Mwitumwa, who are involved in Zambia’s national PrEP programme.
The embassy described the programme as an example of “US innovation working alongside Zambian expertise to deliver results that last.”
Washington also placed the shipment within its broader health partnership with Lusaka, saying its long-term objective is to support a system increasingly financed, managed and sustained by Zambia.
“The United States is committed to supporting Zambia’s transition toward a health system that Zambia owns, Zambia leads, and Zambia sustains,” the embassy said.
The arrival of lenacapavir gives Zambia another prevention tool alongside existing PrEP options, with the six-month dosing schedule potentially addressing one of the practical challenges of HIV prevention: maintaining consistent use over time.
– The People’s Brief | Tracey Shumba