South Africa: Deputy President Welcomes Rollout of HIV Prevention Injection

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has hailed South Africa's upcoming rollout of Lenacapavir as a potential game-changer in the country's efforts to prevent HIV infections.

The antiviral medicine is used to reduce the risk of HIV in adults and adolescents who weigh at least 35 kilograms, are HIV negative, and are at risk of getting HIV.

"Our country now stands poised to start with the rollout of Lenacapavir around May this year," the Deputy President said on Thursday, during an Extended Plenary of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC).

Lenacapavir was registered by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) last October. The product was developed to prevent new HIV infections by administering a six-monthly injection.

While South Africa has made progress in expanding treatment and prevention services for HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), Mashatile stressed that challenges remain, particularly in treatment retention, prevention among young people and key populations, and the persistent burden of tuberculosis.

"Ending TB and HIV is a moral duty to restore dignity, protect families, and secure the future of our nation. I call on all of us to strengthen collaboration, to break down barriers of stigma and inequality, and to mobilise every resource at our disposal.

"Together, we can accelerate progress towards the 95-95-95 targets, towards ending TB, and towards building a healthier, more just South Africa," the Deputy President said.

The targets call for 95% of all people living with HIV to know their HIV status, 95% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection to receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 95% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy to have viral suppression.

"Furthermore, let us intensify our efforts as the SANAC family in the fight against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF). As we all know, the President has declared GBVF a national disaster. We must all collaborate across sectors of society to combat this scourge," he said.

Read the original article on SAnews.gov.za.