Mozambique Launches Long-Acting Injectable Prep

Maputo — The Mozambican health authorities on Wednesday launched a long-acting injectable PrEP against HIV, which is capable of reducing the risk of infections by more than 99 per cent.

A PrEP is a pre-exposure prophylaxis which uses anti-retrovirals to prevent the multiplication of the HIV virus inside the human body.

According to Health Minister Ussene Isse, speaking at the launch ceremony in the southern municipality of Matola, the introduction of the long-acting PrEP injection, known as lenacapavir, is a milestone in the effort to control the disease.

Lenacapavir is administered by injection only twice a year and is intended for people aged 15 years or above.

“From today, Mozambique joins the group of pioneering countries that provide their citizens with an injectable drug capable of reducing the risk of HIV infection by more than 99 per cent’, he said.

The minister explained that lenacapavir increases the range of available options for combined HIV prevention in Mozambique, allowing citizens access to increasingly effective and safe methods, tailored to their needs.

According to the minister, the country recorded in 2024 approximately 92,000 new HIV infections, of which 15,000 occurred among adolescents and young people aged between 10 and 19.

For her part, Gilion Michila, the Matola district administrator, said that the medicine will be impactful, opening “new possibilities for protection, care, and hope.’

“We invite our population to seek information, talk to health professionals, and share knowledge with family and friends. Every informed decision can change a life’, she said.

The Deputy National Director of Public Health, Aleny Couto, considered the launch of lenacapavir a milestone in the country’s HIV response.

He explained that the introduction of lenacapavir is a result of lessons learned from the implementation of injectable cabotegravir, introduced in a pilot programme in 2024 in the northern province of Nampula.

“Lenacapavir is another tool that is added to other forms of prevention already existing in the country, within the framework of combined prevention,’ she said.

The new prevention option will be made available in phases in 55 health units, covering 15 districts in the central province of Zambézia, and in Maputo city and province, as part of strengthening the national strategy for combined HIV prevention.

Mozambique is joining other countries in the region, such as Eswatini, Zambia and Zimbabwe, which have already adopted this innovative technology.