Nigeria to Launch Lenacapavir HIV Prevention Injection

The Federal Government of Nigeria announced plans to roll out a new long-acting HIV prevention injection, Lenacapavir, as part of its commitment to combat HIV/AIDS by 2030. The announcement was made by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziak Salako, during a media briefing on Monday.

The government received 52,000 doses of Lenacapavir, which will be administered once every six months, marking a significant shift from the daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) regimen. Nigeria, which has the second-largest HIV epidemic globally with approximately 1.9 million people living with HIV, aims to strengthen its HIV response and expand prevention services.

The rollout is scheduled to begin in January 2026, with Lenacapavir complementing existing prevention methods. Adebobola Bashorun from the National Agency for the Control of AIDS highlighted the need for stronger prevention strategies to address new infections, which remain a public health concern despite a decline in prevalence.