By Levy Masiteng
Adolescent girls and young women are leading early uptake of the newly introduced HIV prevention injection, Lenacapavir, with more than 16,000 people initiated within the first month of the national rollout, according to an official government update.
The long-acting injectable, administered once every six months to eligible HIV-negative people at substantial risk of contracting HIV, is being rolled out in phases across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape, North West and the Western Cape.
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The rollout forms part of government’s drive to reduce new HIV infections and end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, with young women identified as a key priority group in the country’s HIV prevention response.
Among the six provinces participating in the first phase, the Gauteng Department of Health said the province had already exceeded its initial Lenacapavir target.
It said that since the phased rollout began on 8 June, 6,130 eligible clients had been initiated on Lenacapavir across the province, achieving 131% of its monthly target of 4,672 initiations.
Lenacapavir is currently available at 133 public health facilities across Gauteng, all of which have received stock to support service delivery.
The department reported strong uptake across all five health districts, with Tshwane recording the highest number of initiations at 2,216, followed by Johannesburg with 1,981 and Ekurhuleni with 1,435.
Sedibeng recorded 377 initiations, while the West Rand registered 121.
The department said it continued to maintain healthy stock levels, with more than 7,400 injection packs and more than 7,500 oral tablet packs available at reporting facilities.
It added that a second consignment of 9,830 packs was delivered to the Medical Supplies Depot on 26 June to support the continued expansion of the programme across the province.
Health professionals have stressed that Lenacapavir should not replace other HIV prevention methods.
“The medicine provides eligible HIV-negative individuals at substantial risk of HIV acquisition with an additional prevention option and complements existing HIV prevention interventions,” the department said.
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“The Department commends healthcare workers, programme managers and facility teams across the province for ensuring that eligible clients can access this important intervention.”
The public has been reminded that the injection does not protect against sexually transmitted infections other than HIV and does not prevent unintended pregnancies.
“Individuals using Lenacapavir are therefore encouraged to continue practising safer sex, including the consistent and correct use of condoms, regular STI screening, and continued access to sexual and reproductive health services available at public healthcare facilities,” the department said.
