NAIROBI, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) — Kenya’s Ministry of Health said on Saturday that it has approved the rollout of lenacapavir, a twice-yearly HIV prevention drug, for use in the East African country.
The ministry said the recommendation follows a comprehensive scientific assessment of the quality, safety, and efficacy of lenacapavir, conducted in line with Kenyan law and applicable international regulatory standards.
“Its long-acting formulation allows it to be administered only twice a year, offering an important alternative to daily oral HIV prevention medicines. This is particularly beneficial for individuals who face challenges with taking pills every day,” Aden Duale, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Health, said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
Kenya is among the first African countries to recommend lenacapavir for registration, a decision that aligns with recent global public health guidance, including recommendations by the World Health Organization, Duale said.
He added that the move reflects the country’s growing regulatory capacity and leadership in enabling timely access to innovative health technologies of public health importance.
Duale said the ministry will ensure the medicine is introduced in a timely, equitable and responsible manner for populations at substantial risk of HIV infection.
The move comes as Kenya, in December 2025, reported a sharp 19 percent rise in new HIV infections, with cases increasing to 19,991 in 2024 from 16,752 in 2023, according to a report by the National Syndemic Disease Control Council.
