Khaberni - South Africa, Eswatini, and Zambia began on Monday offering doses of medication in the form of injections to their citizens to combat the HIV virus, in one of the first drug launch programs in Africa.
Lenacapavir, which is taken twice a year, has proven its ability to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99.9%, making it functionally similar to an effective vaccine.
In South Africa, the Wits University Research Unit oversaw the drug roll-out process under an initiative funded by Unitaid, the health agency of the United Nations.
Unitaid stated in a press release: "The first individuals began using Lenacapavir to prevent HIV in South Africa... making it among the first practical uses of the injection taken every 6 months in low- and middle-income countries."
The agency did not specify the number of people who received the initial doses of the drug, which costs $28,000 per person annually in the United States. The drug is expected to be launched nationally next year.
Last month, neighboring Zambia and Eswatini received 1,000 doses under an American program, and launched the drug on Monday in honor of World AIDS Day.
Under the American program, the manufacturer "Gilead Sciences" agreed to provide Lenacapavir without any profit for two million people in countries with high infection rates over a period of three years.
However, Washington, which has a number of political disagreements with Pretoria, will not provide doses for South Africa despite its participation in clinical trials.
A senior official in the US Department of State, Jeremy Lewin, told journalists late last month, "Clearly, we encourage every country, especially countries like South Africa that have significant resources of their own, to fund doses for their populations."
Critics argue that the quantities delivered by the United States are far less than the actual needs and that market prices are beyond the reach of most people.
Regions in East and Southern Africa represent about 52% of the 40.8 million people living with HIV around the world, according to data from the United Nations AIDS program.
