Rumbidzayi Zinyuke recently in ACCRA, Ghana
A TOTAL of 46 500 people will be put on the long-acting HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir early next year, as Zimbabwe begins its first rollout of the twice-yearly injectable that offers protection against the virus.
The introduction of the drug marks a major milestone in the country’s HIV prevention strategy.
Lenacapavir is an injectable that provides six months of protection against HIV infection.
Unlike daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which many at-risk individuals struggle to adhere to consistently, this new option offers a discreet, long-lasting alternative that could dramatically improve prevention outcomes, particularly for adolescent girls, young women, key
populations and others facing barriers to daily pill use.
Presenting Zimbabwe’s preparedness at the recently concluded ICASA 2025, national HIV prevention coordinator Ms Getrude Ncube said the country had moved swiftly after approving the drug, becoming the third African country to do so.
“Five days after approval, the Minister of Health and Child Care (Dr Douglas Mombeshora) held a press conference to explain what Lenacapavir is and what it means for Zimbabwe,” she said.
“Since then, we have identified 40 initial rollout sites, completed site readiness assessments and conducted training of trainers.
“We are now ready to implement once the doses arrive.”
Ms Ncube said the first shipment of doses is expected in January, marking the start of the phased rollout.
She said prioritising 46 500 beneficiaries was guided by national data and Zimbabwe’s capacity to manage an orderly introduction that focuses on districts and populations most affected by new infections.
To achieve this target, the ministry prioritised districts with persistently high HIV incidence, areas recording the highest numbers of new infections and those showing strong uptake of oral PrEP between 2023 and 2025.
Districts with large numbers of people living with HIV who are not yet on treatment and those where women remain highly vulnerable due to low male treatment coverage were also selected.
As a result, the first rollout phase will cover districts such as Bulawayo, Gweru, Karoi, Masvingo, Chitungwiza, Cowdray Park, Harare, Mutare, Mazowe, Tsholotsho, Kwekwe, Shamva and Gwanda.
The selection ensures coverage across urban, peri-urban and rural settings, while reaching key and vulnerable groups, including adolescent girls and young women, female sex workers and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Although the first phase targets specific districts, Ms Ncube said, all provinces will be included in future scale-up once more doses become available.
Latest statistics from the 2024 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey show that awareness of PrEP remains below 50 percent, despite oral PrEP having been introduced in 2018.
Awareness is especially low among young people at highest risk of infection, highlighting the need for new approaches.
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