Dar es Salaam. South Africa has become the first African nation to approve the use of an injectable HIV prevention drug, marking a major milestone in the continent’s fight against the virus.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has registered the drug Lenacapavir, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved on June 19, 2025, after finding it to be 99.9 percent effective in preventing HIV infection. The twice-yearly injection was earlier approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
