Lira, Uganda | URN | The Ministry of Health has launched the use of Lenacapavir, a revolutionary Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis long-acting injectable drug for HIV prevention in Uganda.
The National Launch, which took place at Lira Regional Referral Hospital, was presided over by Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, the Minister of Health, and the Lira City Woman Member of Parliament.
Dr. Aceng described the launch as a great milestone which has come not by accident but rather a strong commitment of the government of Uganda from as early as the 1980s and 90s when HIV and AIDS was devastating the country.
“Uganda stood out as a global leader in confronting the epidemic with openness, courage, and decisive action. That same commitment continues to guide us today as we move towards ending Aids as a public threat by 2030,” she said.
Currently, there are 1.4 million Ugandans on treatment, with about 100 new individuals acquiring HIV every day, of whom 33 are young people, mainly adolescent girls and young women.
Dr. Aceng explained that the launch will help in “closing the tap” on new infections.
She rallied Ugandans, starting with the people of Lango, to not forget the basics, emphasizing preventive measures like abstaining and early enrolment in care.
“This opportunity begins with you; you are the first community in Uganda to receive this prevention intervention.”
“Let us lead by example, let us show the rest of the country that Lango is ready to take charge of its health and future.” She said.
Dr. Richard Kabanda, the Commissioner of Health Promotion at the Ministry of Health, emphasized the need to increase the risk perception, especially among the youth.
“We shall rely heavily on our non-health actors at the community level to engage responsibly with the guidance from us as the sector, as we strive to ensure that our individuals, communities, or people in the communities do not get HIV.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Cissy Kityo Mutuluuza, the Executive Director of the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC), who has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDS research in Uganda and around the world, said that at the moment, the Lenacapvir drug is available in very few doses because it is still very expensive.
She also disclosed that efforts are underway to produce generic drugs for HIV treatment.
“For HIV treatment, we don’t use just one drug. What we have evaluated in the trials is a combination of two drugs; we’ve done the research. We have the results.” She said.
Dr. Andrew Odur, the Acting Director of Lira Regional Referral Hospital (LRRH), Dr. Andrew Odur believes that the launch is “a very important day in the lives of Ugandans,” clarifying that it is a drug and not a vaccine.
“Let’s not talk about the vaccine for this launch. This is a drug that is meant to prevent HIV infection,” he said.
Dr. Odur is, however, concerned that some ill-intended individuals are hoping to misuse the drug by engaging in uncontrolled sexual activities, which exposes them to infections.
He also emphasized the need to strengthen fights against Non-Communicable Diseases in Lango, where he said is registering a surge in such conditions.
Statistics show that Uganda has reduced new HIV infections from 96,000 in 2010 to 37,000 by the end of 2025. However, over 150,000 people are living with HIV who do not know their status.
