Deputy President Paul Mashatile has lauded the potential of a long-acting injectable prevention method, one that will go a long way in treating and preventing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Back in October, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority officially approved Lenacapavir, an injectable antiviral drug that provides six months of protection against HIV with just two doses in a year.
As such, Lenacapavir has become hailed as a game-changer in the battle-ridden HIV landscape.
MASHATILE HAILS BREAKTHROUGH DRUG
From March 2026, South Africans will be able to visit their local clinic every six months for this HIV-prevention jab.
Speaking at World AIDS Day commemorations held at Ga-Masemola Stadium in Limpopo’s Sekhukhune District on Monday, 1 December 2025, Mashtile expounded on the benefits of Lenacapavir, as well as the hope it brings.
“Lenacapavir offers hope for young women who cannot negotiate condom use,” said the deputy president, who also serves as the chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC). “It empowers adolescent girls navigating relationships marked by power imbalances. It protects key populations who face stigma and discrimination.”
He added, “Lenacapavir speaks to the reality of our people’s lives, that prevention must be practical, dignified, discreet and compatible with the pressures of daily survival.”
HIV IN SOUTH AFRICA
According to IOL, over 3.5 million people living with HIV in South Africa are virally suppressed. This means that there is a zero risk of them transmitting the disease to a sexual partner.
However, there are approximately 1.1 million people in the country who have HIV but are not receiving treatment, stemming from a variety of reasons.
“The 1.1 million gap,” said Mashatile, “in particular represents mothers who stopped treatment because transport was too costly, men who walked away after negative clinic experiences, young people who feared disclosure, and thousands who moved between provinces without continuity of care.”
He explained that the government is working ceaselessly to put in place policies that can improve “access, retention and re-engagement” with HIV treatment.
In doing so – combined with the use of Lenacapavir – it can narrow the gap and help impede the spread of HIV.
All in all, this is a huge step towards eliminating HIV/AIDS and an even bigger step towards securing a healthy future for South Africans everywhere.
