We will also launch anti-HIV drug, Uganda and Tanzania say

More East African countries have said they will roll out Lenacapavir, the twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug, days after Kenya began offering the injection.

Kenya rolled out 21,000 doses of the drug at the Riruta Health Centre on February 26, becoming the first country in East Africa to do so.

Just days later, Uganda received its first consignment and said it would begin offering the shots in early March.

Health officials said the 19,200 initial doses, donated by the Global Fund, will be distributed first in high-burden districts once on-the-ground preparations are complete.

The Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority approved late last year. Officials are finalising rollout plans, including training health workers and ensuring supply chains are in place before public distribution begins.

For health workers, the twice-yearly schedule addresses one of the biggest practical barriers they see daily.

“Our patients were complaining about the pill burden. Being HIV negative but still having to take a drug every single day was tiresome for them,” said Carol Njomo, an HIV testing counsellor at Riruta Health Centre, who sees around 70 patients a day and records approximately 20 new positive cases every month.

“With this injection, we are so excited. It is only twice a year, and it will reduce the workload in our facilities too. Right now, I already have around 30 people waiting for the jab today.”

Further south, Lesotho has received its first shipment of the drug, marking a historic milestone in the country’s long battle against HIV/Aids.

Lesotho’s progress comes against a backdrop of one of the world’s highest HIV burdens. The country has made impressive strides in treatment coverage and viral suppression, but prevention gaps remain wide.

The country’s Deputy Prime Minister Nthomeng Majara described the drug as a critical addition to the country’s prevention strategies, especially given Lesotho’s adult HIV prevalence of 17.1 per cent.

“Lenacapavir is an important innovation that strengthens our national response to HIV prevention and brings new hope to communities across the country,” Majara said.

Kenya and Lesotho join a growing list of African nations where Lenacapavir is not only approved but already being administered.

According to global health advocates, Eswatini and Zambia began public rollouts in late 2025, making them among the earliest adopters on the continent.

In Zimbabwe, the drug is also already in use as part of national HIV prevention programmes, targeting populations at high risk of infection with the twice-yearly injectable.

South Africa was among the first to register Lenacapavir with its national regulator and is slated to launch the drug publicly in 2026, having incorporated the intervention into its essential medicines framework.

Regulatory approvals, a key first step towards rollout, are now in place in several other countries.

Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Malawi and others have granted authorisation for Lenacapavir’s use in HIV prevention, clearing the path for future distribution once supply and systems are ready, according to the manufacturer Gilead.

Kenya’s launch last week saw Samson Mutua, a 27-year-old resident of Kawangware, become the first Kenyan to receive Lenacapavir.

The drug protects against HIV for six months with just two injections annually.

Mutua, who spent years on daily oral PrEP, described the injectable as a “comfort” that will free him from the demands of daily pills.

“Two injections a year now give me that comfort. I feel protected,” he said.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale lauded the rollout, noting dramatic declines in new infections over the past decade, but stressing that prevention remains critical with 1.4 million Kenyans still living with HIV.

“This innovation gives us renewed strength in our national fight against HIV,” he said.

Lenacapavir’s twice-yearly dosing addresses a major barrier in HIV prevention: adherence. Daily oral PrEP, while effective, has faced uptake challenges due to the rigours of consistent use.

The injectable’s schedule is expected to help reduce missed doses, increase retention in prevention programmes and ease clinic workloads.

World Health Organization and Global Fund partners have backed Kenya’s rollout with starter doses, technical guidance and safety monitoring systems.

Similar partnerships are supporting Uganda and other countries in their preparations.