In Conversation With Foster Mohale, Health Department spokesperson

The Department of Health welcomes the arrival of the first batch of Lenacapavir in South Africa, consisting of 37 920 doses. This milestone forms part of the country’s integrated, differentiated and people-centred HIV prevention services, aimed at expanding options for individuals who face barriers to existing prevention methods. Lenacapavir is a six-monthly injectable HIV preventive medicine and is considered one of the most significant advances in HIV prevention in recent years. Its introduction is expected to improve adherence to HIV prevention, particularly among vulnerable priority groups such as adolescent girls and young women, sex workers, and men who have sex with men. This medicine aligns with South Africa’s efforts to reduce new HIV infections and achieve the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, while sustaining the HIV response beyond 2030 in line with the Global AIDS Strategy 2026–2030. The Department of Health will announce the official launch of Lenacapavir in the coming weeks, during which the phased implementation plan will be outlined. The launch is expected to be led by the President, in consultation with the Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, who expressed excitement about this ground breaking development. This development marks a significant step in strengthening South Africa’s HIV prevention strategy, offering new hope and choice to those most at risk. Instagram · Twitter