The country’s preparedness to rollout a new HIV prevention method, Lenacapavir, will be discussed today at the two-day multi-stakeholder meeting organised by the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), together with the Department of Health in Kempton Park.
Lenacapavir is a long-acting antiretroviral medicine administered via injection twice a year and can be used as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to help reduce the risk of HIV infection in people who are HIV-negative.
The injection has been recommended by the World Health Organisation for member states as an additional HIV prevention choice, as part of combination HIV prevention approaches.
According to the department of Health, clinical trials have shown it to be highly effective, providing almost complete protection against HIV infections when administered as recommended at six-month intervals, and is already implemented in the United States, Europe, and Canada for HIV treatment. In July, the country accepted about R520 million from the Global Fund to fight Aids, TB, and Malaria, to buy Lenacapavir.
“The two-day roundtable will create a platform for stakeholders, including government departments, the Private sector, Health Regulator development partners, funders, pharmaceutical manufacturers, civil society, to discuss critical sustainability issues such as licensing, funding, access, affordability, manufacturing capacity, define priority populations, demand creation, and social mobilisation,” said the department spokesperson, Foster Mohale.
Furthermore, Mohale said the meeting will also discuss securing a voluntary license for lenacapavir and advance the country’s local manufacturing agenda. The meeting will also be attended by the health regulator SAHPRA, Global Fund, Gates Foundation, UNAIDS, and Gilead. Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi is expected to deliver the keynote address.
