A new HIV prevention drug that can offer near-complete protection with two injections a year remains difficult to obtain in Africa and elsewhere, PBS NewsHour reports, citing the Associated Press. Lenacapavir, developed by Gilead Sciences, has shown strong results in studies, but people seeking it in places such as Mbarara in western Uganda say it is often out of stock.
The report follows a sex worker in the city who currently relies on condoms and preventive medication but says a long-acting injection would better protect women who move between places for months at a time and may forget daily pills. Each time she asks for the drug, she is told supplies have run out. Health workers and campaigners see the jab as a potential turning point in HIV prevention if access can be widened.
Source: PBS NewsHour