As the country continues with its National HIV Prevention Strategy, the Ministry of Health will welcome the Lenacapavir injectable solution, to join other methods used to prevent the spread of HIV.
According to the UNAIDS report, the country recorded 38,000 new infections among adults aged 15-49 years in 2023, indicating that the goal of reducing new infections to zero is still far from being achieved.
Research conducted by Gilead Sciences in Uganda and South Africa shows that people, especially adolescent girls aged 15-24 years, don’t use oral PrEP properly to protect themselves against the virus, indicating 3,000 new infections occurring each week.
In this context, Gilead Sciences, under the Purpose 1 program, developed an injectable Lenacapavir Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) that disrupts multiple stages of the HIV viral lifecycle. If approved, this solution, which is still under investigation, could offer a highly effective, tolerable, and discreet option that may improve PrEP uptake and adherence, potentially contributing to the global reduction of HIV.
During the media orientation meeting on HIV prevention updates and new program technologies at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health Dr. Diana Atwine revealed that the ministry welcomes the Lenacapavir prevention initiative as part of the effort to combat the spread of the virus. “The introduction of the Lenacapavir injection gives us fresh hope that we can overcome HIV in the near future,” she noted.
Dr. Diana Atwine warns against exposing oneself to the risk of contracting HIV and calls on the public to continue working together to eliminate HIV in Uganda by 2030. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining current prevention methods, such as ABC (Abstinence, Be faithful, and Condom use), while awaiting the approval of Lenacapavir.
However, she expressed concern about the high cost and inaccessibility of such solutions, which may prevent the poor from affording them and leave some people behind. Nonetheless, she reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making services available to all Ugandans.
The Purpose 1 trial, conducted in 25 organizations in South Africa and 3 in Uganda with 5,000 participants, revealed that the injectable Lenacapavir is 100% effective in preventing HIV transmission.
Dr. Flavia Matovu Kiweewa, a researcher from Makerere University narrates that they conducted their research about Purpose 1 trial in August 2021 in Mityana, Mubende, Masaka and kalangala to confirm that the Lenacapavir injectable solution can help to protect adolescent girls and women against contracting HIV when they engage in sex intercourses.
However, she added that ongoing research with Lenacapavir in the Purpose 2 trial is being conducted. If proven effective, the intention is not to eliminate other prevention methods but to provide people with options to choose what works best for them, as long as it is used correctly and helps reduce new infection cases.
Dr. Herbert Kadama from the Ministry of Health explains that the Ministry is also evaluating the Dapivirine vaginal ring, which offers one month of protection against HIV for women. It is inserted a day before it starts providing protection and remains effective for 28 days. Currently, it is being used by 630 women across the country. “The vaginal ring should not be shared,” he emphasizes.
Dr. Herbert Kadama adds that to reduce congestion at health centers as people pick up PrEP, government plans to avail oral Prep and Dapivirine vaginal rings to different nearby pharmacies. This initiative aims to make it easier for people to access them locally.
In the same way, Peter Wakooba, from the Uganda AIDs commission reveals that AIDs prevention response had a progress during the pre COVID era, and then the new infections increased around the covid era by about 54,000. However it started going down although is it is not as expected, thereby expressing hope towards more PREP solutions.
The government is to continue providing oral PREP to over 700,000 people across 635 facilities and the Virginal ring in 7 public health facilities such as Malaba Health Centre IV, Mbarara Health Centre IV, Bison Health Centre III, Bufunda Health Centre III, Kitgum Hospital, Namakwekwe Health Centre III, and Gulu Regional Referral Hospital,
Additionally, Dr. Kadaama reveals that with support from the Global fund, the ministry plans to extend access to the Virginal ring services to four more health facilities including, Bugembe Health Center in Jinja, Masaka Kasenselo, Kyenjojo Hospital and , the Marpi Clinic in Kampala by February 2025.
