Kenya is set to introduce a new HIV-prevention drug in March across 15 high-priority regions, the Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday, February 18, marking a major step in the country’s efforts to curb new infections.
The drug, lenacapavir, is administered twice a year and has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99.9 percent. Although often described as vaccine-like due to its high level of protection, it is classified as a chemical drug because it does not stimulate the immune system in the way traditional vaccines do.
Kenya is among nine African countries selected last year to roll out lenacapavir. Implementation has already begun in South Africa, Eswatini and Zambia since December. According to 2024 data from UNAIDS, eastern and southern Africa account for around 52 percent of the 40.8 million people living with HIV globally.
Kenya received its first shipment of 21,000 doses on Tuesday, February 17, under an agreement with the drug’s manufacturer, Gilead Sciences, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS.
“The first phase of implementation will begin early March, covering 15 counties,” Health Minister Aden Duale said in a statement. “We expect an additional 12,000 continuation doses by April,” he added.
Duale also disclosed that the United States government had pledged to supply Kenya with a further 25,000 doses. Kenya’s HIV prevalence rate currently stands at 3.7 percent.
The rollout comes at a time when several African nations are dealing with reductions in foreign aid, particularly following funding cuts to HIV/AIDS programmes under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Kenya maintains strong diplomatic ties with the United States and in December signed a $2.5 billion health aid agreement, the first bilateral deal of its kind after the dismantling of USAID and the sidelining of several non-governmental organisations.
Under the agreement, the US is expected to provide $1.6 billion over five years to support Kenya’s health sector, including HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, malaria control and polio prevention. Kenya is required to contribute $850 million and gradually assume greater responsibility for programme implementation.
However, the deal has faced legal scrutiny after a Kenyan senator challenged it in court, citing alleged constitutional violations.
