Watch: Zimbabwe Launches Lenacapavir: New HIV Prevention Injection With 99.9% Protection https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi5VAmhwaRw Michael Gwarisa In a major step forward for HIV prevention, Zimbabwe has officially launched the rollout of Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable drug that provides new protection options for communities at high risk of HIV infection. Zimbabwe joins South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, and Eswatini
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Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has set the stage for the rollout of Lenacapavir, a long acting injectable HIV prevention medicine that is expected to significantly strengthen the country’s HIV response. The injectable drug, which is administered only twice a year, is being introduced as part of Zimbabwe’s expanded HIV prevention strategy targeting people at high risk
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Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe has delayed the rollout of Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable PrEP drug for HIV prevention, as the Ministry of Health awaits ministerial approval to announce official launch dates. The delay has sparked questions from communities and advocates eager to access the new HIV prevention option. Speaking to HealthTimes, Dr Owen Mugurungi confirmed that
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Michael Gwarisa In a move expected to reshape the regional HIV response, South Africa has become the second country in sub-Saharan Africa after Zimbabwe to launch trials of a locally developed HIV vaccine. The vaccine trials, which were first launched in Zimbabwe in August 2025, will be conducted at three sites: the Mutala Trust Clinical
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Kuda Pembere Zimbabwe made significant gains in its HIV response under the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan IV (ZNASP IV 2021–2025), including achieving the 95-95-95 targets for adults and reducing new infections and AIDS-related deaths, but persistent inequalities across age, sex, geography and population groups continue to undermine progress. This emerged during the ZNASP
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Kuda Pembere Amid reduced donor funding and increased calls for domestic resource mobilisation, Zimbabwe’s AIDS levy generated about US$60 million in 2025. Speaking to HealthTimes, National AIDS Council chief executive officer Dr Bernard Madzima said the amount was far below the estimated annual requirement of US$200 million. The Zimbabwe National AIDS Levy is a statutory
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Kuda Pembere Children and adolescents living with HIV in Zimbabwe who are being treated with dolutegravir are unlikely to experience excessive weight gain or unhealthy fat build-up, a major international study published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. The findings come from the ODYSSEY trial, a large, long-term randomised study carried out in eight
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By Michael Gwarisa The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has announced the expedited approval of Lenacapavir, an innovative long-acting medicine for pre exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV-1 infection. The MCAZ Director-General, Mr. Richard T. Rukwata, said “the rapid approval of Lenacapavir reflects the Authority’s dedication to accelerating access to trusted, high-quality health products
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa The Kingdom of Eswatini has received its first shipment of the lifesaving HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir, a few months after becoming one of the few African countries earmarked for the rollout to take delivery. The twice-a-year injectable drug will be introduced under the America First Global Health Strategy, which guides the United
Read MoreBy Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is set to begin developing its fifth Zimbabwe National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan (ZNASP V), which will guide the country’s HIV response from 2026 to 2030. The forthcoming strategy follows the successful implementation of ZNASP IV, which runs until 2025 and has seen major progress in the fight against HIV.
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