Zimbabwe Targets 46,000 Lenacapavir Users As Demand For HIV Prevention Injection Grows
Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe is set to significantly expand access to Lenacapavir, the long-acting injectable HIV prevention drug, after securing additional financial support from the Global Fund through the United States Department of State, a development expected to strengthen HIV prevention efforts among high-risk populations. The new support will see an additional 43,000 doses added to
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Merck Once-Daily ARV Pill Could Reach Market Soon
Michael Gwarisa In a move that could significantly reduce pill burden and improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved a new once-daily pill developed by Merck & Co. for adults living with HIV-1 who are already virologically suppressed. The pill is intended to replace a patient’s existing
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Monthly HIV Injectable Offers Hope for Patients Struggling with Adherence
Michael Gwarisa A monthly injectable HIV treatment combining long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine has been shown to outperform standard daily oral antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people who struggle to stick to treatment, according to findings from a major randomized clinical trial. The study, published in February 2026 in the New England Journal of Medicine, provides strong
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Trump Signs Historic US$5.88 Billion Package to Expand HIV Funding
Michael Gwarisa United States President Donald Trump signed into law a US$5.88 billion bipartisan spending package on February 3, 2026 that restores and expands American support for global HIV initiatives, according to a statement from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The package represents one of the largest single‑year pledges of U.S. government funding for the
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No Weight Gain Worries for Zimbabwean Kids on Dolutegravir, Lancet Study Reports
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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When Santa Brings Joy at Christmas, Injiva Bring Infections and Unintended Pregnancies: The Hidden HIV Threat Facing Mat South Girls
By Michael Gwarisa in Mat South In most parts of Matabeleland South, the festive season does not only bring tinsel and holiday cheer. It brings something far more complicated. Bottle store owners and shopkeepers prepare for football tournaments that turn their businesses into instant profit zones, while a quieter and more vulnerable anticipation grows among young
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An HIV Wave Hitting Only One Side of the Market: Women in Mat South Are Bearing the Brunt
By Michael Gwarisa in Mat South In Matabeleland South, the burden of new HIV infections falls almost exclusively on women. The numbers are more than statistics; they depict a crisis where mothers and daughters are diagnosed one after the other, while men’s rates lag behind. This imbalance is shrinking families, disrupting livelihoods, and leaving communities to pick up
Read MoreHigh Demand Pushes America to Increase Lenacapavir Supply as Eswatini Gets First Shipment
By 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 MoreZimbabwe to Prioritise Local Funding in New HIV Strategy
By 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.
Read MoreUnited Nations Proposes Shutting Down UNAIDS In 2026
By Staff Reporter The United Nations (UN) agency focusing on the HIV/AIDS pandemic could close by the end of next year as the UN restructures in the face of a funding crisis, according to a UN document published online. UNAIDS will “sunset” by the end of 2026, the document published on Thursday reads, part of
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