Zambia Greenlights Twice-Yearly HIV Prevention Injectable
Becoming the second regional country after South Africa to greenlight the twice-yearly injection, the southern African state anticipates LEN will substantially advance its objective of eradicating HIV as a public health crisis by 2030.
"This landmark intervention builds on the introduction of another long-acting injectable ARV called Cabotegravir (CAB), which we introduced in February 2024," Health Minister Elijah Muchima told reporters in the capital, Lusaka.
He stated LEN's authorization by the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) reflects the nation's commitment to accelerating safe, transformative medical breakthroughs while upholding quality and regulatory standards.
"The impact of introducing this long-acting ARV for HIV prevention is huge. We are currently recording about 30,000 new HIV infections yearly. Adolescent girls and young women are bearing the brunt of these new HIV infections," Muchima said.
Zambia presently has approximately 1.3 million individuals living with HIV, and Muchima emphasized that LEN availability provides renewed optimism for populations unable to obtain two-monthly injectable ARVs for HIV prevention.
"It gives hope to the mothers who are pregnant and those breastfeeding and who contract HIV and transmit it to their babies. It gives hope to those who want to access HIV prevention in privacy," he added.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
