Moroke Sekoboto
LESOTHO has received nearly 14 000 additional doses of lenacapavir injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) from the United States government, expanding the country’s stock of the twice-yearly HIV prevention injection.
The consignment arrived yesterday, according to a statement issued by the US Embassy in Maseru.
The latest delivery is the second batch supplied to Lesotho and comes after the national rollout of lenacapavir in March.
The US Embassy said the drug had since reached health facilities across the country and was being embraced as an important HIV prevention tool.
“Today’s lenacapavir delivery advances the (Donald) Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy’s goal of ending mother-to-child HIV transmission and also makes HIV prevention more accessible for high-risk individuals, including adolescent girls and young women who face unique barriers to care,” the statement said.
The Embassy said the additional doses would increase access to the prevention injection among people at risk of HIV.
“With 14,000 additional doses arriving today (yesterday), more people at risk of HIV/AIDS will have access to this life-saving HIV prevention tool,” it said.
The delivery forms part of a wider US-led partnership with Gilead Sciences and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria aimed at expanding access to lenacapavir in countries with high HIV burdens.
The Embassy said the latest delivery was also contributing to efforts to reduce new HIV infections.
“Since the national rollout in March, lenacapavir has reached health facilities across Lesotho and people have embraced this groundbreaking American innovation as a critical tool in HIV prevention,” the statement said.
“This long-acting, twice-yearly injectable PrEP is helping reduce new HIV infections and bringing Lesotho closer to an HIV-free future.”
Background
The latest consignment follows the arrival of the first 6000 doses in February, ahead of the national rollout.
The US Department of State announced in August 2025 that it planned to make lenacapavir available in countries with high HIV burdens, including Lesotho.
Lenacapavir is a long-acting HIV prevention medicine administered twice a year. The initial rollout plans placed particular emphasis on pregnant and breastfeeding women because of their heightened vulnerability to HIV transmission.
Evidence from a large-scale clinical trial showed the drug to be highly effective, with more than 99 percent of participants remaining HIV-negative while receiving lenacapavir.
The initiative is jointly funded by the US government and the Global Fund, with a target of reaching up to two million people by 2028. Distribution is expected to take account of individual countries’ HIV burdens and their capacity to deliver the medicine.
The US had said the twice-yearly dosing could improve convenience and adherence, potentially helping to reduce HIV transmission and treatment costs.
The Global Fund had similarly stressed the importance of rapidly making new HIV prevention technologies available in countries where they could have the greatest impact.
