Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has said that the breakthrough long-acting HIV prevention injection Lenacapavir will be available at selected health facilities from 5 June, reports IOL.
The announcement was made last week during the tabling of the department’s budget vote in the National Assembly, with the Minister describing the intervention as a major step towards eliminating HIV as a public health threat.
The department would begin distributing stock to depots and health facilities within weeks, with the initial phase targeting 360 facilities in high-burden districts countrywide.
The rollout will prioritise groups identified high risk groups, including adolescent girls and young women under 24, pregnant and breastfeeding women, sex workers and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, including men who have sex with men, transgender people, and people who inject drugs.
The rollout forms part of broader efforts to strengthen prevention strategies while also addressing related health challenges, including cervical cancer, which the minister described as a growing concern.
Motsoaledi said the government was working to eliminate cervical cancer through an expanded vaccination and screening programme aligned to global targets, including ensuring that 90% of girls aged between nine and 15 receive the HPV vaccine.
IOL article – South Africa to launch groundbreaking HIV prevention injection on June 5 (Open access)
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