South Africa has become the first country in Africa — and only the third worldwide — to approve a new twice-yearly HIV prevention injection.
Health...
South Africa has become the first country in Africa — and only the third worldwide — to approve a new twice-yearly HIV prevention injection.
Health authorities believe the jab, known as lenacapavir (LEN), could help end the country’s HIV/Aids epidemic within 14 to 18 years if rolled out widely.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) granted rapid approval for the injectable drug, paving the way for the Health Department to begin distribution as early as February next year.
Initial doses will be funded through a $29.2 million grant from the Global Fund to Fight HIV, TB, and Malaria, enough to provide treatment for about 456,000 people over two years. However, experts say South Africa would need...