African Kingdom Launches Revolutionary Twice-Yearly HIV Prevention Shot

Eswatini has become one of just eight countries to deploy a groundbreaking HIV prevention injection that only requires two shots per year. The small African nation has already administered the drug to 2,000 people since December, with officials reporting strong public interest.

The small African kingdom of Eswatini has launched distribution of a revolutionary HIV prevention medication that requires just two injections annually, health officials announced Wednesday.

Since December, approximately 2,000 residents have received the innovative treatment called lenacapavir, making Eswatini one of only eight nations worldwide to deploy this cutting-edge prevention method.

“People have been very receptive,” stated Sindy Matse, who manages Eswatini’s National AIDS Programme. She noted that initial demand was so strong that supplies were nearly depleted.

The breakthrough medication, developed by California-based Gilead Sciences, addresses significant challenges faced by traditional daily HIV prevention pills known as PrEP. Many patients struggle with remembering daily doses or maintaining consistent access to medication supplies.

Health authorities plan to expand availability across all 206 medical facilities currently providing PrEP services throughout the kingdom, formerly known as Swaziland.

The United States, where researchers created the drug, along with seven African nations experiencing high HIV rates, have also introduced the twice-yearly injection program.

Eswatini faces one of the world’s most severe HIV challenges, with approximately 25% of residents aged 15-49 carrying the virus according to 2023 data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. However, the nation has made remarkable progress, reducing new infections by nearly 75% between 2010 and 2024 – dropping from 14,000 annual cases to 4,000 through improved prevention and treatment efforts.