Prosper Okoye
Kenya will begin rolling out a new HIV-prevention drug in March, in what health officials have described as a major step forward in the fight against the virus.
The drug, lenacapavir, is taken just twice a year and has been shown in trials to cut the risk of HIV infection by more than 99 percent. Although often described as a vaccine, it works as a long-acting chemical treatment rather than by stimulating the immune system.
The Ministry of Health said the first phase of the programme will cover 15 priority counties, with the aim of reaching people most at risk of infection.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelKenya is one of nine African countries selected to introduce the drug. Rollouts have already begun in South Africa, Eswatini and Zambia.
Health minister Aden Duale said the country received its first shipment of 21,000 doses on Tuesday under a deal involving the drug’s manufacturer, Gilead Sciences, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS.
“We expect another 12,000 continuation doses by April,” he said, adding that the United States had also pledged to supply an additional 25,000 doses.
Kenya has an HIV prevalence rate of 3.7 percent, and the country is among those hardest hit by the epidemic in eastern and southern Africa, a region that accounts for more than half of the world’s 40 million people living with HIV.
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The rollout comes at a time when many African countries are facing cuts to international health funding following policy changes by US President Donald Trump, which have affected HIV and AIDS programmes across the continent.
Despite this, Kenya and the United States signed a $2.5bn health-aid agreement in December, under which Washington will provide $1.6bn over five years to support programmes including HIV treatment, malaria control and polio prevention.
Kenya is expected to contribute the remaining $850m and gradually take on more of the costs. However, the agreement is being challenged in court by a Kenyan senator, who says it breaches the constitution.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
