Government has officially launched Lenacapavir, a six-month injectable that prevents HIV and AIDS, in Epworth on Thursday.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of Health Douglas Mombeshora highlighted the significance of this long-acting prevention option in the country’s national HIV response, emphasizing the government’s commitment to protecting life and ending AIDS as a public health threat.
Mombeshora noted that Zimbabwe has made significant progress over the past two decades in reducing HIV-related illness and death, a success that many families in the country have experienced firsthand. “Over the past two decades, Zimbabwe has made strong progress in reducing illness and death related to HIV. Many families here know this progress first hand,” he said. However, he cautioned that the fight against HIV is not yet over, pointing out that new infections continue to occur, particularly among adolescent girls, young women, and other high-risk populations. “The journey is not yet finished and new HIV infections continue to occur, especially among adolescent girls and young women and other populations at increased risk, this tells us something important: prevention must fit into real life,” he continued.
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The Ministry of Health plans to expand the availability of Lenacavir across the country as the administration of the injection continues, ensuring that more people have access to this preventive measure.
Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Harare, Phillip Nervig who represented Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pamela Tremont durinh the launc, highlighted that the simplicity of the new regimen, noting, “With just two doses every six months, Lenacapavir will make prevention easier and prevent the spread of HIV.” He added, “Lenacavir offers Zimbabwe an historic opportunity to sustain its remarkable progress in controlling the HIV epidemic by reducing new HIV infections. And that progress has been extraordinary.”
Medical experts, however, stressed that while Lenacapavir strengthens HIV prevention, it does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections. Bernad Madzima advised, “People should continue to use condoms and PrEP because Lenacavir only adds as a surplus to prevention.”
U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pamela Tremont later visited the Epworth Overspill Clinic following the launch. She described Lenacapavir, developed in the United States by Gilead Sciences and already in use in the U.S., Zambia, and Eswatini, as a major advancement in HIV prevention.
“I am very pleased to share that the United States plans to support access to LEN for about 271,000 Zimbabweans over the next three years. This will prevent more than 9,000 new HIV infections, critical to maintaining control of the HIV epidemic,” she said.
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