LUSAKA, Zambia

Zambia on Friday became the latest African country to approve the six-month injectable antiretroviral lenacapavir (LEN) for HIV prevention.

Joining South Africa as the second regional country to agree to the twice-a-year jab, the southern African nation hopes that LEN will significantly contribute to its goal of eliminating HIV as a public health threat by 2030.

"This landmark intervention builds on the introduction of another long-acting injectable ARV called Cabotegravir (CAB), which we introduced in February 2024," Health Minister Elijah Muchima told reporters in the capital, Lusaka.

He said LEN's approval by the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) demonstrates the country's readiness to expedite safe, high-impact medical innovations while maintaining quality and standards.

“The impact of introducing this long-acting ARV for HIV prevention is huge. We are currently recording about 30,000 new HIV infections yearly. Adolescent girls and young women are bearing the brunt of these new HIV infections,” Muchima said.

Zambia currently has around 1.3 million people living with HIV, and Muchima adds that the availability of LENs gave hope to those who could not access two-monthly injectable ARVs for HIV prevention.

“It gives hope to the mothers who are pregnant and those breastfeeding and who contract HIV and transmit it to their babies. It gives hope to those who want to access HIV prevention in privacy,” he added.