The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness welcomed the response of the administration of the long-acting HIV prevention injection Lenacapavir.
The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness confirmed that nearly nine in ten people who choose the lenacapavir injection are first-time users of the long-acting HIV prevention.
Lenacapavir is an antiretroviral drug designed to both treat and prevent HIV. More importantly, lenacapavir is not a vaccine, but a highly effective HIV prevention medicine.
According to the Department, between June 8 and July 24, 2,339 lenacapvir injections were administered across 22 public health facilities in the Metro. Of the injections administered, 2,049 (87.6%) were people who were not previously taking oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which means the programme is reaching thousands of residents who were previously not using long-acting HIV prevention.
Besides lenacapavir, a twice-a-year injection, PrEP can also be taken as a daily prescription pill, which has been available in South Africa since 2016.
