Loading the Audio Player…
Zimbabwean Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora on Thursday launched the first phase of a national rollout of lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV prevention shot. Human immunodeficiency virus, commonly known as HIV, is incurable and can severely damage the body’s ability to fight off infection, according to HIV.gov. An estimated 1.3 million Zimbabweans were living with HIV in 2020, according to the United Nations.
The World Health Organization began recommending the shot, which is administered twice a year, in 2025. Tests showed that lenacapavir prevented almost all HIV infections, it said. The shot’s effectiveness lasts much longer than most other HIV-preventing treatments.
Mombeshora said Thursday that the shot did not replace other ways of preventing HIV, but served as a complement to them. Zimbabweans should follow the advice of trained professionals when seeking or receiving the shot, he said.
Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard’s interview with a health researcher on the impact of fathers on their children’s health.
