Kenya among countries set to roll out HIV preventive drug Lenacapavir
Published on: July 15, 2025 06:47 (EAT)
The 'HIV' inscription displayed on a screen and illustrative syringes are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on June 20, 2025. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto) (Photo by Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP)
The World Health Organization has approved the rollout of Lenacapavir (LEN), an injectable HIV preventive medication, with Kenya selected as one of the nine early adopter countries for its implementation.
According to the National AIDS and STI Control Program (NASCOP), the HIV prevention drug will be available by January 2026.
“The Ministry of Health through NASCOP in collaboration with various partners, is actively working to ensure the availability of this innovative product for Kenyans by January 2026,” NASCOP said.
The World Health Organization issued guidelines recommending the use of LEN twice a year as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option for HIV prevention, in a historic policy move that could help reshape the global HIV response.
LEN, the first twice-annual injectable PrEP product, is a highly effective, long-acting alternative to daily oral pills and other shorter-acting options.
WHO said that LEN will help protect people at risk of HIV – particularly those who face challenges with daily adherence, stigma, or access to healthcare.
“While an HIV vaccine remains elusive, Lenacapavir is the next best thing: a long-acting antiretroviral shown in trials to prevent almost all HIV infections among those at risk," WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
The new guidelines come at a critical point as HIV prevention efforts have plateaued, with 1.3 million new HIV infections reported in 2024.
By the end of 2024, approximately 40.8 million people were living with HIV worldwide, with about 65% of these cases in the WHO African Region.
Globally, around 630,000 people died from HIV-related causes, and an estimated 1.3 million new infections occurred, including 120,000 children.
Access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) continues to improve, with 31.6 million people receiving treatment in 2024, an increase from 30.3 million in 2023.
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