Zimbabwe has launched a national programme for lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug, marking a major step in its fight against AIDS.

The initiative was officially unveiled on Thursday by Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora, who described the rollout as “an important day” in the country’s HIV response.

Developed by Gilead Sciences and approved locally in November, lenacapavir is nearly 100 per cent effective and removes the need for daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) pills, improving treatment adherence.

The initial phase, funded by the U.S. government and The Global Fund, targets more than 46,000 high-risk individuals across 24 sites nationwide. Priority groups include adolescent girls, young women, and sex workers.

Zimbabwe is home to about 1.3 million people living with HIV but has met the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets and reduced prevalence from 34 per cent in the early 2000s to about 12 per cent.

In Epworth, community leader Melody Dengu, who received the injection earlier this month, has already referred several others for treatment.

Reacting to the development, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, described lenacapavir as “the next best thing to a vaccine,” underscoring its potential to transform HIV prevention globally.