The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced its support for 9 countries to begin the rollout of Lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV prevention medicine targeting individuals at high risk of infection across several African nations.
The Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, disclosed on Thursday during an online media briefing. He noted that the drug, approved in 2025, represents the most significant advancement in the fight against HIV since the introduction of antiretroviral treatments nearly 40 years ago.
According to Tedros, Lenacapavir is not a vaccine but a long-acting antiretroviral drug administered once every 6 months via injection. Clinical trials have shown that the medicine can prevent almost all cases of HIV among individuals at risk.
“In the past 8 months, the WHO has supported the rollout of Lenacapavir in Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe,” the WHO chief stated.
He highlighted that South Africa became the first African nation to approve the drug in Oct. 2025 and announced plans on Thursday to manufacture Lenacapavir locally to strengthen regional supply. However, Tedros warned that global demand currently exceeds supply and urged pharmaceutical manufacturers to scale up production.
Beyond HIV, the WHO chief addressed progress in treating obesity, noting that the organization issued its first guideline in Dec. 2025 recommending GLP-1 therapies for adults. He emphasized that while these medications are effective, they must be combined with healthy diets and physical activity. Through the WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity, the organization is supporting 34 countries to reduce obesity prevalence by 5% by 2030.
Tedros also marked HPV Awareness Day by highlighting global strides in eliminating cervical cancer. He lauded India for launching the largest free HPV vaccination campaign in history last month, targeting nearly 12M girls annually.
The WHO strategy aims for 90% vaccination and screening coverage by 2030 to significantly reduce global mortality from the disease. Currently, 162 countries have included the HPV vaccine in their national immunization schedules.