By Charmaine Ndlela
South Africa will officially start the roll out Lenacapavir, a ground-breaking HIV prevention injection, on 5 June in Mpumalanga.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced the rollout while delivering the Department of Health’s Budget Vote on Wednesday, saying the country is now in a strong position to decisively tackle HIV as a public health threat.
“In the next two weeks, we will be delivering Lenacapavir stocks to depots and health facilities. We will be starting with 360 health facilities in the high-burden districts of the country,” Motsoaledi said.
Lenacapavir is administered through an injection twice a year, offering six months of continuous protection per dose. The treatment is seen as a major breakthrough as it provides an alternative to daily HIV prevention tablets and bi-monthly injections.
Studies have shown that the drug reduces HIV transmission risk by 99.9%.
The minister said the rollout will primarily target high-risk groups, including adolescent girls and young women up to the age of 24, pregnant and breastfeeding women, female sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people and injecting drug users.
Motsoaledi said South Africa has already made significant progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
“We are in a position where we dare say we can eliminate HIV/AIDS as a public health threat. All we have to do is to work hard, and work hard together as South Africans motivated and bound together by a common destiny,” he said.
Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla also reaffirmed government’s commitment to fighting infectious diseases.
“We push for the elimination of infectious diseases with major focus on HIV & AIDS, TB, malaria and childhood infections,” Phaahla said.
According to the Department of Health, South Africa’s HIV counselling, testing and treatment campaign has contributed to major health improvements over the years, including increased life expectancy and reductions in maternal mortality, child mortality and tuberculosis infections.
Life expectancy has increased to 66.9 years in 2025, compared to 54 years in 2010, while maternal mortality has declined from 240 deaths per 100 000 live births in 2010 to 89 deaths per 100 000 live births in 2020.
The under-five mortality rate has also dropped significantly, while tuberculosis incidence continues to decline.
“We achieved all these by taming the scourge of HIV/AIDS. Imagine what we can achieve if we work hard together once more,” Motsoaledi said.
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