HIV Shot Faces South Africa’s Weakened Healthcare Delivery System
Warren and Nyagah caution that “the systems needed to get the injection to people are weaker than they should be,” pointing out that many delivery programs have already been eroded by funding cuts and shifting political priorities.
South Africa will begin offering the twice-yearly HIV prevention shot lenacapavir (LEN) on June 5, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced, hailing a major step forward in the fight against the virus. For individuals who are HIV-negative, the long-acting injection has proven to be almost completely effective at preventing sexual transmission.
But new drugs alone won’t end the epidemic, argue Mitchell Warren, executive director of the international health advocacy group AVAC, and Wawira Nyagah, executive director of Access Bridge. They note that while South Africa has long provided a daily HIV prevention pill, many young people struggle to maintain the day-to-day routine of taking it.
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Warren and Nyagah caution that “the systems needed to get the injection to people are weaker than they should be,” pointing out that many delivery programs have already been eroded by funding cuts and shifting political priorities.
