Zimbabwe launches twice-yearly lenacapavir HIV prevention program in national rollout
Zimbabwe has become one of the first countries to launch a national program for lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug, in a move health leaders describe as a major milestone in the fight to end AIDS as a public health threat. The rollout targets high-risk groups and removes the need for daily preventive pills, a shift that may improve adherence and reach.
Zimbabwe's national lenacapavir rollout: scope and priority groups
The program was officially launched by Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora on Thursday and will begin with an initial phase aimed at more than 46, 000 high-risk individuals across 24 sites nationwide. The rollout emphasizes priority populations who face disproportionate infection rates, including adolescent girls, young women, and sex workers.
Lenacapavir is administered as an injection twice a year and was approved locally in November. The government rollout is funded by the U. S. government and The Global Fund and is intended to complement existing prevention and treatment efforts.
How lenacapavir could change HIV prevention in Zimbabwe
Health authorities describe lenacapavir as nearly 100% effective and say it eliminates the need for daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) pills, addressing a major barrier for people who struggle with adherence. With an estimated 1. 3 million people living with HIV, Zimbabwe carries one of the region's largest burdens, even as the country has met ambitious treatment milestones.
Zimbabwe has reached UNAIDS' 95-95-95 treatment targets and reduced HIV prevalence from roughly 34% in the early 2000s to approximately 12% today. Program leaders see lenacapavir as an additional tool to sustain progress and reduce new infections among those at greatest risk.
Early community response and regional context
On the ground, uptake signals early momentum: in Epworth, community leader Melody Dengu received the injection and has already referred a dozen others for the same protection. International public health leadership has framed the drug as a game-changing advance for prevention; the World Health Organization chief described lenacapavir as the next best thing to a vaccine.
The Zimbabwe rollout follows parallel moves across the region, where other countries are also introducing twice-yearly injections as part of efforts to expand prevention choices. Those regional rollouts underscore growing momentum for long-acting prevention options in settings with high HIV burdens.
What to watch next
Key near-term indicators will include uptake among the identified priority groups, retention for the required continuation doses, and any operational challenges at the 24 rollout sites. Program managers will also monitor whether the new option improves protection for people who had difficulty adhering to daily pills.
Details of scale-up beyond the initial phase and the timeline for broader national coverage were not provided in the launch details. Recent updates indicate this is an early stage national program; rollout plans and targets may evolve as implementation proceeds.
Note: schedule and implementation details are subject to change as the program moves from initial launch into broader delivery phases.
