Cape Town – The Gauteng Health Department has intensified its HIV prevention strategy with the rollout of Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable treatment administered once every six months and now available at 133 healthcare facilities across the province.
On 8 June, health officials were present at the Chiawelo Community Health Centre in Soweto, where the programme was being introduced to young people and key populations, including sex workers and people who inject drugs, among others. Eligible individuals were initiated on the injection as part of the province’s expanded prevention efforts.
Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson Steve Mabona said healthcare workers, including nurses and health promotion teams, were actively educating patients about how the injection works, its benefits, and its role within broader HIV prevention strategies.
“Our health promotion teams, together with nurses, are providing essential education on how Lenacapavir works, its benefits, and the importance of combination prevention in reducing the risk of HIV infection. This includes encouraging regular testing and consistent use of prevention services,” Mabona said.
He stressed that Lenacapavir is not a standalone solution, but part of a wider prevention package aimed at reducing new HIV infections in the province.
“It is important for the public to understand that Lenacapavir forms part of a comprehensive HIV prevention package and does not replace other critical interventions such as regular HIV testing, condom use, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, voluntary medical male circumcision, and treatment for people living with HIV,” he added.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has also emphasised that the injection should not be viewed as a cure, but rather as an additional tool in the country’s HIV prevention efforts.
🎙️ Let us be clear. Lenacapavir is not a silver bullet. It is one more powerful tool in our arsenal.
It complements HIV testing, oral PrEP, treatment as prevention, condoms, voluntary medical male circumcision and behavioural interventions. #Lenacapavir4HIVPrevention… pic.twitter.com/jGXH6dmvFm
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) June 7, 2026
“Let us be clear. Lenacapavir is not a silver bullet. It is one more powerful tool in our arsenal. It complements HIV testing, oral PrEP, treatment as prevention, condoms, voluntary medical male circumcision and behavioural interventions,” the President said.
The rollout forms part of ongoing efforts by health authorities to strengthen combination prevention strategies and reduce the spread of HIV across South Africa.
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Picture: Facebook/ Gauteng Health Department
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
