Game-Changer in Zimbabwe: Twice-a-Year HIV Injection Now Available, Could This Reach Uganda Soon?

Bulawayo just made history.

Sex workers, young women, and other high-risk groups in Zimbabwe’s second-biggest city are now queuing up for a new HIV prevention injection called Lenacapavir that only needs to be taken twice a year.

Instead of swallowing pills every single day (and stressing when you travel or when clients see the bottle), one jab gives you six months of protection.

The women at the launch were emotional. One said, “I travel a lot for work. Now I don’t have to worry about carrying pills or explaining anything.” Another added that the injection is private — no stigma, no questions from clients.

Zimbabwe still has one of the highest HIV burdens in southern Africa, but this new tool is being praised as a real breakthrough, especially for people who find daily pills difficult.

For Uganda, where we also struggle with adherence and stigma, this is something our Ministry of Health should be watching closely. If it works well there, pressure will grow for us to bring the same option here. Prevention just got easier.